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she-devil

she-devil

4 8.8
A cruel woman who treats people very badly
  • noun
  • /ˈʃiːˌdɛvəl/
  • Offensive
translation icon : diablesa
  • Because a she-devil stole it!
  • called her a she-devil
  • she-devil, a witch
  • red-haired she-devil

Examples

Synonyms

monster
vsshe-devil
  • Offensive
470 3.3

A very cruel person who hurts others without pity

is focused on women while that term is gender neutral
demon
vsshe-devil
  • Offensive
106 5.1

A cruel person who causes great harm to others

is used for women not for people in general
evildoer
vsshe-devil
15 7.5

A person who does bad things to hurt other people

is applied as a woman's personal insult rather than to bad acts
vixen
vsshe-devil
  • Offensive
12 8.4

A woman people see as mean and quick to anger

is used for active malice rather than only bad temper
harpy
vsshe-devil
  • Offensive
8 9.9

A cruel greedy woman who treats others badly

is broader and not limited to people who are grasping
hellcat
vsshe-devil
  • Offensive
8 9.9

A woman who is often angry and mean to other people

is more general and not mainly about aggression
devil
vsshe-devil
  • Offensive
5 4.4

A cruel person who hurts others or treats them very badly

is specific to women rather than any gender
harridan
vsshe-devil
  • Offensive
3 9.9

An unpleasant, bossy older woman who scolds people

is used for cruelty and malice rather than old-fashioned strictness
villainess
vsshe-devil
2 7.1

A woman who plays the bad person in a story

is used for real-life insults rather than just fictional characters
Jezebel
vsshe-devil
  • Offensive
2 9.9

A woman seen as shameless or immoral, often used as an insult

is focused on cruelty and malice rather than sexual reputation
hellhound
vsshe-devil
  • Offensive
1 9.6

A very evil person who hurts and frightens others

is a milder gendered insult rather than the extreme label
demoness
vsshe-devil
  • Offensive
1 8.6

A woman who is very cruel to other people

is a general label rather than the more extreme insult
modern-day Jezebel
vsshe-devil
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A woman people call immoral or who uses others to gain power

is about cruelty and malice rather than sexual reputation
dragoness
vsshe-devil
  • Offensive
1 8.9

A woman who is fierce, frightening, and tries to control others

is about harmful intent rather than mere domineering behavior
archdemon
vsshe-devil
9.9

A person people think is extremely cruel or evil

is a common gendered insult not the highest figurative rank
cambion
vsshe-devil
  • Offensive
9.9

An insulting name for a cruel or troublesome person

is specific to women rather than a general insulting label

Antonyms

308 3.9

A very holy, kind person often officially declared by the Church

angel
  • Informal
304 1.0

A very kind person who helps others

How Cruel

she-devil
  • Offensive
4 8.8
meany
  • Offensive
5 7.2

Surface Forms

she-devil singular
she-devils plural

Morphology

she-devil = she + devil (transparent) = she + devil

The meaning is directly interpretable as 'female' + 'devil' (a wicked woman), so learners who know the components can infer the sense.

Etymology

She-devil joins she and devil. Devil means 'an evil spirit' or 'a very bad person', so calling someone a she-devil paints a clear picture of a woman who is cruel or wicked.