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I've noticed a dictionary defines devilment as "wild or bad behaviour that causes trouble" but gives the following example:

eyes blazing with devilment

Does the example fit the definition?

Apollyon
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1 Answers1

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Eyes are said to convey emotion or state of a person. They can be angry, sad, happy, pleading, innocent etc.

In this case, the eyes of the person are wild and wicked.

So yes, the definition fits the sentence.

Bella Swan
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  • Actually, "devilment" there refers to an intention or desire, not behavior. So the definition fails. – Apollyon Jul 03 '19 at 07:26
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    @Apollyon It doesn't matter if the eyes reflect the intention to be bad or indicate that you have been bad. It's still the same thing—especially since it's being used figuratively anyway. (As is blazing, unless the eyeballs are literally on fire and smoking). – Jason Bassford Jul 03 '19 at 08:17
  • If the definition is plugged into the example, maybe it'll be clear what goes wrong: "eyes blazing with wild or bad behavior that causes trouble" – Apollyon Jul 03 '19 at 09:06
  • @Apollyon when using metaphors, you never "plug in" the definition directly.If you are adopting such practice, then, as Jason said, blazing would literally mean that the eyes were on fire too – Bella Swan Jul 03 '19 at 10:53
  • So the eyes are causing trouble? – Apollyon Jul 03 '19 at 11:25
  • @Apollyon No, the person having the eyes is causing trouble. The eyes are simply showing that he's troublesome. Like, sometimes, you look in someone's eyes and tell if that person is good, truthful, bad, wicked, troublesome etc – Bella Swan Jul 03 '19 at 11:29
  • Then the definition is still inadequate; Merriam-Webster has better definitions: "behavior that causes trouble " and "a desire to cause trouble." The example in the OP fits the second of the definitions quoted here. – Apollyon Jul 03 '19 at 11:32