How do you say “Play devil's advocate” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is Hacer de abogado del diablo, which literally means “To act as lawyer of the devil”. English speakers use play devil's advocate to mean to argue against an idea, even if you do not agree with the argument, just to test whether the idea is good. A close equivalent for testing an idea by arguing the other side. It also describes defending an unpopular position, so explain your intention if needed. “Abogada del diablo” is the feminine form. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
Hacer de abogado del diablo
/aˈseɾ de aboˈɡado del ˈdjablo/
- Literal meaning
- “To act as lawyer of the devil”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
99 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
Both languages use the same lawyer and the same devil. The speaker takes a contrary role without necessarily believing the argument.
Both suit discussion at work or among friends. Announcing the role can soften disagreement, but it does not make every objection welcome.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity5 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in Spanish?
Poner a prueba la idea
Literally: “To put the idea to a test”
Focuses on testing the idea, without necessarily arguing the opposite side.
Plantear la postura contraria
Literally: “To put forward the contrary position”
Neutral wording without the familiar religious image.
Common translation traps
Jugar al abogado del diablo
“Hacer de” is the usual way to express taking this role; “jugar al” sounds like playing a game.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in Spanish.
In context
English
Let me play devil’s advocate for a moment.
Spanish
Déjame hacer de abogado del diablo un momento.
English
She played devil’s advocate to test our plan.
Spanish
Hizo de abogada del diablo para poner a prueba nuestro plan.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-09-13