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

Brooker puts the carnivorous culture of reality TV on trial in this diabolical hour, set in a world where lower-caste citizens pedal stationary bikes to power their surroundings and earn meager currency. —Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025

But in a more pointed, diabolical way for this afternoon’s players, the sheer density of talent bunched just millimeters behind Pletcher’s River Thames approximates that of a black hole that very well can suck River Thames right down and out into oblivion. —Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025

The strangeness begins with that Godlike narrator, who flicks a diabolical tail. —James Wood, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025

Being able to breach another crew's ship opens up a world of potential diabolical use cases for the game's various traps. —Alan Bradley, Space.com, 5 Apr. 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

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

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