Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To torment mercilessly; plague.
  • transitive verb To worry, annoy, or frustrate.
  • transitive verb To possess with or as if with a devil; bewitch.
  • transitive verb To spoil; ruin.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To treat with diabolical violence or abuse.
  • To possess with or as with a devil.
  • To “play the devil with”; transform or confuse as if by the aid or agency of evil spirits; confound; muddle; corrupt; spoil.
  • To bewilder with worry; torment; bother; confuse.
  • To make a devil or devils of; bring into the condition of a devil: as, to bedevil mankind.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To throw into utter disorder and confusion, as if by the agency of evil spirits; to bring under diabolical influence; to torment.
  • transitive verb To spoil; to corrupt.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To harass or cause trouble for; to plague.
  • verb To perplex or bewilder.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly
  • verb treat cruelly

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

be- +‎ devil

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