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

Veneno, ever the anti-hero and unreliable narrator, vacillates between her self-serving and diabolical impulses throughout the arc of her character. —Samantha Riedel, Them., 28 Mar. 2025

But traffickers have responded with diabolical inventiveness. —Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025

Gabriel Macht doesn’t miss a beat, and the charisma chasm between the two men is diabolical. —Ayan Artan, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2025

Stanley Tucci plays chief villain Ethan Skate, the man behind Christopher's disappearance whose plans are far more diabolical than Michelle ever imagined. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 15 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for diabolical

• follicle
• symbolical

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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