devilish
adj.adj. very clever or skillful in a way that is slightly scary or evil. You use this to describe someone who is very good at something tricky or sneaky.
adj. characterised by cunning, malice, or a high degree of skill that borders on the sinister. Often used to describe a person's cleverness or a situation's complexity.
He has a devilish way of getting what he wants.
The detective's devilish mind allowed him to solve the case in record time, leaving the other officers in awe.
The architect's devilish design incorporated hidden passageways and secret rooms that made the mansion feel both grand and deeply unsettling to its inhabitants.
From Middle English develissh, develyssh, equivalent to devil + -ish. Cognate with Saterland Frisian düvelsk, düüwelsk (“devilish”), West Frisian duvelsk (“devilish”), Dutch duivels (“devilish”), German Low German düvelsk (“devilish”), German teuflisch (“devilish”), Danish djævelsk (“devilish”), Swedish djävulsk (“devilish”), Norwegian djevelsk (“devilish”).