What does “devil's advocate” mean?
devil's advocate
Oh, this is a good one!
So a "devil's advocate" is someone who argues the opposite side of something — not because they really believe it, but just to test the idea or make the conversation more interesting.
Like, imagine your friends all agree a new restaurant is amazing. You might say, "Okay, let me play devil's advocate here — the prices were really high and the service was slow, right?" You don't necessarily think it was bad, you're just pushing back a little to see all sides.
People often say "to play devil's advocate" when they do this. Like, "I'm just playing devil's advocate, but are we sure this plan is actually safe?"
It originally came from the idea of someone arguing against making a person a saint in the old church — basically, arguing for the "bad side."
So overall, it means arguing the opposite just to explore the idea more fully! 😊
Related words
The dictionary you'll enjoy reading.
What is Hey Dictionary?
Hey Dictionary explains words, slang, and idioms the way a native friend would — casual, with real examples — instead of a stiff, formal definition. Type a word and read it like a text from a friend.
Benefits of using Hey
- –deeper & more nuanced understanding of the word
- –greatly increase comprehensible input
- –learn natural spoken language
- –make language learning more fun
Who is Hey for?
- –Casual language learners (travel, making friends, cultural exchange)
- –People who prioritize verbal over written expression
- –People tired of ordinary, boring dictionaries
How to use Hey (effectively)?
- 1.Enter a word or short phrase you want to learn
- 2.Read the explanation in the target language
- 3.Highlight words to check their pronunciation
FAQ
Yes. The main lookup feature is free and needs no login.