diabolical
adjective
di·a·bol·i·cal
ˌdī-ə-ˈbä-li-kəl 
variants
or diabolic
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the devil : extremely evil
a diabolical plot
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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."
Synonyms of diabolical
Examples of diabolical in a Sentence
the police quickly mobilized to track down the diabolical criminals before they struck again
Recent Examples on the Web
But Jim Parsons and Layton Williams all but run away with the evening, finding diabolical laughs as Rose’s helicopter mom and a Tina Turner-esque iceberg.
—
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 May 2026
So concluded one of the finest chapters in our history, as the United States saved Western Europe from a diabolical tyranny.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 May 2026
The sand in hotter climates has got to be diabolical on bare skin.
—Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
The word — so often a diabolical four-letter dismissal — recasts precision as excess, ambition as ego, obsession as spectacle.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
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Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 May 2026
So concluded one of the finest chapters in our history, as the United States saved Western Europe from a diabolical tyranny.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 May 2026
The sand in hotter climates has got to be diabolical on bare skin.
—Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
The word — so often a diabolical four-letter dismissal — recasts precision as excess, ambition as ego, obsession as spectacle.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for diabolical
Cite this Entry
“Diabolical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diabolical. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
diabolical
adjective
di·a·bol·i·cal
ˌdī-ə-ˈbäl-i-kəl
variants
or diabolic
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the devil : fiendish
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