demon

noun

de·​mon ˈdē-mən 

variants or daemon

plural demons or daemons

1

a

: an evil spirit

angels and demons

b

: a source or agent of evil, harm, distress, or ruin

the demons of drug and alcohol addiction

confronting the demons of his childhood

2

usually daemon : an attendant (see attendant entry 2 sense 1) power or spirit : genius

3

usually daemon mythology : a supernatural being whose nature is intermediate between that of a god and that of a human being

4

: one that has exceptional enthusiasm, drive, or effectiveness

a demon for work

Doug, putting like a demon, had birdies on the third and sixth …

—Fred Tupper

5

daemon : a software program or process that runs in the background

A mailer daemon installed on an e-mail system can respond to a piece of incorrectly addressed e-mail by generating an automated message to the sender that the message was undeliverable.

—J. D. Biersdorfer

demonian

di-ˈmō-nē-ən 

adjective

Synonyms

• cacodemon
• devil
• fiend
• ghost
• ghoul
• ghoulie
• imp
• shaitan

Examples of demon in a Sentence

only in rare cases is the ancient rite of exorcism performed to cast out a troublesome demon

a man who was finally able to conquer his demons and kick his drug habit

Recent Examples on the Web

The temple is famous for its towering gopurams (gateway towers), each covered in a riot of colors and adorned with intricate sculptures of deities, demons, and mythical creatures from Hindu mythology. —Shalbha Sarda, Architectural Digest, 4 Mar. 2025

Here, Hausmann-Stokes talks to Deadline about his upbringing, confronting personal demons, uncovering nuanced and engaging Veteran stories. —Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2025

Buffy the Vampire Slayer launched in 1997 and ultimately ran for seven seasons, telling the story of its titular hero, a young woman who must fight vampires, demons, and other evil forces while making her way through high school. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 26 Feb. 2025

After spending years in the grime of East London making Luther, the dark cop drama starring Idris Elba as a homicide detective with some very nasty personal demons, Cross was ready for something light and sunny. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "evil spirit," borrowed from Late Latin daemōn "evil spirit, pagan deity, idol," going back to Latin, "supernatural being, spirit intermediate between humans and gods," borrowed from Greek daimon-, daímōn "superhuman power, variably evil or beneficent, intervening in human affairs, fate" (Homeric), "personal spirit, bringing luck or ill, that accompanies an individual," "spirit intermediate between humans and gods" (Plato), "evil spirit" (New Testament), probably from dai-, stem of daíomai, daíesthai "to divide, allocate" + -mōn, deverbal noun and adjective suffix — more at tide entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing demon

• demon drink
• like a demon
• speed demon
• the demon drink

Rhymes for demon

• beeman
• daemon
• leman
• niemann
• seaman
• seamen
• semen
• enginemen

Kids Definition

demon

noun

de·​mon

variants or daemon

ˈdē-mən 

1

: an evil spirit

2

usually daemon : an accompanying power or spirit : genius

3

usually daemon : demigod sense 1

4

: one that has a lot of energy

a demon for work

demonic

di-ˈmän-ik

adjective