The Devil's Dictionary Word Search
A free The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce (1911) word search you can play straight in the browser. The 12-word list draws on characters, settings, and objects from the book, hidden across a 15×15 grid in every direction. Drag through the letters to mark a word off.
Written by Ambrose Bierce · First published 1911 · Satire.
Words to find: BIERCE, AMBROSE, DEVIL, DICTIONARY, SATIRE, CYNIC, MALIGN, GRIM, IRONY, MORDANT, SCORN, VICIOUS.
Found words stay highlighted, so the grid gets easier to read as you go and the final few tend to fall quickly.
The Devil's Dictionary word list, defined
- DEVIL /ˈdɛvəl/ · noun
- (In Christian and other religious traditions) the supreme spirit of evil, Satan, the adversary of God and humanity; more generally, an evil spirit or demon. Also used figuratively for a wicked or mischievous person, or as a mild oath expressing surprise or annoyance. Related: fiend, demon, Satan, evil one.
- DICTIONARY /ˈdɪkʃən(ə)ri/ · noun
- A reference book or online resource that lists the words of a language (or a specialized subject), typically in alphabetical order, giving their meanings, pronunciations, and often their origins and usage. Related: lexicon, glossary, wordbook, vocabulary.
- SATIRE /ˈsætaɪr/ · noun
- Satire is the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to criticize and expose human faults, vices, or social shortcomings. It may take the form of literature, performance, visual art, or other media. Related: ridicule, mockery, parody, lampoon.
- CYNIC /ˈsɪnɪk/ · noun
- A person who believes that people are motivated primarily by self-interest, and who is therefore distrustful of others' sincerity or integrity; also (historically) a member of the ancient Greek school of philosophy founded by Antisthenes and associated with Diogenes. Related: skeptic, pessimist, doubter, misanthrope.
- MALIGN /məˈlaɪn/ · verb
- To speak ill of someone or something, especially in a way that damages their reputation. In older or formal usage, it can also mean to cause harm or distress to someone or something. Related: slander, disparage, defame, denigrate.
- GRIM /ɡrɪm/ · adjective
- Grim means bleak, ominous, or forbidding, often describing a situation, prospect, expression, or atmosphere that is depressing or harshly severe. It can also describe a stern, unsmiling appearance or an unyielding determination. Related: gloomy, bleak, forbidding, sinister.
- IRONY /ˈaɪərəni/ (British); /ˈaɪɚni/ (US) · noun
- Irony is a contrast or discrepancy between what is said or expected and what is meant or actually happens, especially when the result is the opposite of what was anticipated. It can also refer to the use of words or situations in which the intended meaning differs from the literal expression. Related: ironic incongruity, incongruity, incongruousness, coincidence.
- MORDANT /ˈmɔːrdənt/ · adjective & noun
- As an adjective, mordant means biting, sharply critical, or expressing a harsh truth in a witty or pointed way. As a noun, it means a chemical substance that reacts with another substance and is used in dyeing and related industrial processes. Related: biting, caustic, sardonic, trenchant.
- SCORN /skɔːrn/ (US); /skɔːn/ (UK) · noun and verb
- As a noun, scorn means open contempt or contemptuous disregard for someone or something. As a verb, scorn means to regard or describe someone or something with contempt or disdain. Related: contempt, disdain, derision, despise.
- VICIOUS /ˈvɪʃəs/ · adjective
- Cruel, savage, or malicious in a particularly intense or extreme way. It can also describe something severely harmful, destructive, or characterized by viciousness. Related: cruel, savage, brutal, malicious.
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