devilifyv.
/ˈdɛvl̩ᵻfʌɪ/, /ˈdɛv(ᵻ)lᵻfʌɪ/, U.S. /ˈdɛvl̩əˌfaɪ/, /ˈdɛv(ə)ləˌfaɪ/ transitive. To make (a person or thing) devilish in nature or character; to portray as evil or wicked. Sometimes contrasted with deify. Cf. demonize v.In later use, occasional hyphenated forms perhaps suggest independent re-formation; cf. quots. 1976, 1984.
ΚΠ
1645 E. Pagitt Mystical Wolfe 6 Unpure Familists who blasphemously pretend to be godified like God, whereas indeed they are devillified [1645 Heresiogr. divellified] like their Father the Devill.
1658 J. Spencer Καινα και Παλαια 69 There be many such Prophets,..deifying this man, and devilifying that man.
1693 J. Lewkenor Metellus his Dialogues i. 19 Now to a blessing to be chain'd and ty'd, Is for the Blessed to be Devilify'd.
1763 London Chron. 6 Oct. 333/1 I have deified him, and devilified you.
1859 Our Plague Spot iv. 118 If those [Christians] ‘deify vice’ and are openly its votaries and worshippers—we, on the contrary devilify it, and profess to wage war with it.
1976 A. Ellis in Jrnl. Individual Psychol. 32 147 Tendency to denigrate or devil-ify oneself.
1984 W. Dryden Rational-emotive Therapy i. 7 The process of ‘devil-ifying’ myself for being totally bad.
2007 Florida Times-Union (Nexis) 22 Apr. d6 It's wrong to devilify anyone or any group.
Derivatives
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > [noun] > a harmful thing or person
appairer1382
malisona1525
deformer1562
annoyer1577
scathe1579
harmer1583
mischief1586
allayer1615
crippler1648
devilifier1793
vitiator1846
deterioratora1856
flivver1915
1793 T. Hastings Regal Rambler 37 The emendator, corrector, and Devilifier..of my book.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2017; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
v.1645