devout

English

Etymology

From Middle English devout, devot, from Old French devot (French dévot), from Latin dēvōtus, perfect passive participle of dēvōveō. Doublet of devote.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɪˈvaʊt/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /dəˈvʌʊt/
• Rhymes: -aʊt

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Adjective

devout (comparative devouter or more devout, superlative devoutest or most devout)

1. Devoted to religion or to religious feelings and duties; pious; extremely religious.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Acts 10:2:

     a devout man, and one that feared God

   • a. 1729, John Rogers, The Difficulties of Obtaining Salvation

     We must be constant and devout in the worship of our God.

2. (archaic) Expressing devotion or piety.

   devout sighs; devout eyes; a devout posture

3. Warmly devoted; hearty; sincere; earnest.

   devout wishes for one's welfare

Translations

devoted to religion or to religious feelings and duties

• Arabic: مُتَدَيِّن‎ m (mutadayyin)
• Bulgarian: набожен (bg) (nabožen), благочестив (bg) (blagočestiv)
• Catalan: devot
• Danish: from (da)
• Norwegian: from (no)
• Esperanto: pia (eo)
• German: tiefgläubig, andächtig (de), strenggläubig (de)
• Greek: ευσεβής (el) m (efsevís)

  Ancient: εὐσεβής (eusebḗs)

• Hungarian: vallásos (hu), ájtatos (hu), istenfélő (hu)

• Irish: urnaitheach, cráifeach
• Italian: devoto (it)
• Japanese: 敬虔な (ja) (けいけんな, kēken na)
• Kazakh: ғибадатшыл (ğïbadatşıl)
• Latin: pius (la)
• Plautdietsch: fromm
• Portuguese: devoto (pt) m
• Russian: на́божный (ru) (nábožnyj)
• Sanskrit: यज्यु (sa) (yajyu)
• Scottish Gaelic: cràbhach
• Spanish: devoto (es)
• Tocharian B: kärtse-ṣälype

Noun

devout (plural devouts)

1. (obsolete) A devotee.
2. (obsolete) A devotional composition, or part of a composition; devotion.

References

• “devout” in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

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Middle English

Alternative forms

• devouth, devot, devote, devolte

Etymology

From Old French devot, devout, from Latin dēvōtus (“vowed, promised”).

Adjective

devout

1. devout
   • c. 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue, lines 21-22:

     Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage
     To Caunterbury with ful devout corage,

     Ready to go on pilgrimage and start
     To Canterbury, full devout at heart,

2. sacred, holy

Descendants

• English: devout
• Scots: devot, devote, devoit

References

• “dēvǒut, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.