diabolical

adjective

di·​a·​bol·​i·​cal ˌdī-ə-ˈbä-li-kəl 

variants or diabolic

ˌdī-ə-ˈbä-lik 

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the devil : devilish

a diabolical plot

diabolically

ˌdī-ə-ˈbä-li-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

diabolicalness

ˌdī-ə-ˈbä-li-kəl-nəs 

noun

Did you know?

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

• cacodemonic
• demoniac
• demoniacal
• demonian
• demonic
• demonical
• devilish
• fiendish
• Luciferian
• satanic

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

Obviously, very few husbands are as diabolical as Dominique Pelicot and not all men are potential rapists, but one of marriage’s benefits for women used to be a measure of security: not just from poverty or physical attack, but from the expectations of other men. —Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024

The third film sees David Howard Thornton return as the diabolical Art the Clown, who desecrates bodies left and right during the Christmas season. —Michaela Zee, Variety, 14 Oct. 2024

The diabolical speed at which production churned through Islanders helped this along: A revolving door of bombshells, recouplings, and surprises will culminate in a final vote during the season finale with more desirable options than the country will find on our ballots come November. —Arimeta Diop, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2024

Set in the diabolical world of The Boys, Gen V expands the universe to Godolkin University, the prestigious superhero-only college where students train to be the next generation of heroes—preferably with lucrative endorsements. —Denise Petski, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

diabolical from diabolic + -ical; diabolic going back to Middle English deabolik, borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French dyabolique, borrowed from Late Latin diabolicus, borrowed from Late Greek diabolikós, going back to Greek, "slanderous," from diábolos "accuser, backbiter, slanderer" + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at devil entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

diabolical

adjective

di·​a·​bol·​i·​cal ˌdī-ə-ˈbäl-i-kəl 

variants or diabolic

-ˈbäl-ik 

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the devil : fiendish

diabolically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

diabolicalness

-i-kəl-nəs 

noun