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Like the word devil, "diabolical" traces back to Latin diabolus, which itself descends from Greek diabolos, a word that literally means "slanderer." In English, "diabolical" has many nuances of meaning. It can describe the devil himself (as in "my diabolical visitor") or anything related to or characteristic of him in appearance, behavior, or thought; examples include "diabolical lore," "a diabolical grin," and "a diabolical plot." In British slang, "diabolical" can also mean "disgraceful" or "bad," as in "the food was diabolical."
Examples of diabolical in a Sentence
Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
One of the most diabolical moments ever devised by Horne and the Taskmaster writers, this one’s got it all, from James Acaster absolutely losing his mind to Rhod Gilbert taking it all out on Horne through a simple reinterpretation of the task instructions.
—Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025
Yet, as time passes, the pair end up engaging in a full-blown and increasingly diabolical war.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
Their challenge on Frankenstein was bringing to the big screen the horror-meister’s vision of egotistical scientist Victor Frankenstein and his monster as part of a diabolical experiment.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Diabolical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diabolical. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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diabolical
adjective
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