Word.ws English Dictionary

the devil is in the detail

the devil is in the detail is the alternative form of the devil is in the details.

Meaning of the devil is in the details

Proverb

the devil is in the details

  1. (idiomatic) The specific provisions of, or particular steps for implementing, a general plan, policy, or contract may be complicated, controversial, or unworkable.
    • Krupp already has an agreement in principle for the deal, but precise details are still being worked out by Polish officials and a Krupp bargaining team ("The devil is in the details," Beitz says).1965, Newsweek, volume 65, page 173

Questions about the devil is in the detail

What is the devil is in the detail the alternative form of?
The devil is in the detail is the alternative form of the devil is in the details.

Words near the devil is in the detail in the dictionary

  1. the devil
  2. the devil a one
  3. the devil and the deep blue sea
  4. the devil finds work for idle hands
  5. the devil is a liar
  6. the devil is in the detail
  7. the devil is in the details
  8. the devil looks after his own
  9. the devil makes work for idle hands
  10. the devil take the hindmost
  11. the devil takes care of his own

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: the devil is in the detail (page history and authors); the devil is in the details (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Cite this entry: “the devil is in the detail.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/the_devil_is_in_the_detail. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.