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What the Devil

What Does "What the Devil" Mean?

homeidiomsWhat the Devil
"What the devil" is an English idiom. It means "an exclamation of surprise, confusion, or disbelief."

Examples in Sentences

Here are three examples of the idiom "what the devil" used in a sentence:
  • What the Devil is going on here?
  • He suddenly shouted in the middle of the meeting. What the Devil was that about?
meaning for what the devil

What Is an Idiom?

An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "What the Devil" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.

An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.

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