Kevin Lomax
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someone who pretends, in an argument or discussion, to be against an idea or plan that a lot of people support, in order to make people discuss and consider it in more detail: play devil's advocate I don't really believe all that - I was just playing devil's advocate. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Debate & discussion.
- English (US)
DEVIL'S ADVOCATE meaning: 1. someone who pretends, in an...
- Advocate
ADVOCATE definition: 1. to publicly support or suggest an...
- Devil-May-Care
DEVIL-MAY-CARE definition: 1. not considering or worrying...
- Translate to Mandarin Chinese
DEVIL'S ADVOCATE translate: 假意反对的人，故意唱反调的人. Learn more in...
- Devil's Food Cake
devil's food cake definition: 1. a strong-tasting dark...
- Traditional
DEVIL'S ADVOCATE translate: 假意反對的人，故意唱反調的人. Learn more in...
- English (US)
play (the) devil's advocate. To argue against or attack an idea, argument, or proposition—even if one is in favor of it—for the sake of debate or to further examine its strength, validity, or details.
Jul 6, 2020 · Playing devil’s advocate to every detail of the plan is the only way to ensure that you anticipate problems before they occur. I am sick of you playing devil’s advocate with everything I say – you are just doing it to be argumentative.
Playing devil’s advocate is a good way to keep a debate interesting and challenging, but you have to make sure it doesn’t turn into a personal attack. When I’m writing an essay, I like to consider the opposing viewpoint and play devil’s advocate to strengthen my own argument.
Jun 21, 2024 · “Playing the devil’s advocate can provoke insights that might never have emerged from straightforward discussion alone.” This method does more than shake things up. By asking ‘why’ and ‘what if’, it reveals the weak spots or unseen assumptions in the original arguments.
Jun 26, 2024 · You use “devil’s advocate” when describing someone who is picking holes in an argument or bringing up a train of thought that directly conflicts with common opinion (e.g., “She is playing devil’s advocate”).
Meaning. A person who takes a contrary position from the one being presented, either for the sake of argument or to test the validity of the opposing point of view. Examples. I didn’t really disagree with what he was saying but I decided to play devil’s advocate just to get him to try to make a better case for it. Where did it originate?
