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

But the turning point in his career came when he was cast in 1980’s 9 to 5 as Franklin Hart Jr., the diabolical boss that terrorizes the characters played by Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton. —Victoria Edel, Peoplemag, 17 May 2024

The quarter-page advertisement, which appeared on Page 3B in the sports section, memorializes Slim Shady, the diabolical antihero character created by Eminem in the 1990s. —Brian McCollum, USA TODAY, 15 May 2024

Jared learns a murderous ogre, Mulgarath, is the source of all of Henson’s woes, and that the diabolical monster is after his great-grandfather Arthur Spiderwick’s (Albert Jones) magical field guide, which has been divided up and hidden around the town. —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024

Walton Goggins’ Cooper Howard, who later survives the nuclear war as a ghoulish bounty hunter, also realizes his wife is one of the Vault-Tec executives who pitches the diabolical idea. —Jordan Moreau, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024

There’s nothing new about diabolical scammers posing as men of the cloth, of course. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024

The shadow roared in across the lake, like some diabolical gloom or lethal wall of hail. —Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2024

But sometimes a sibling relationship is quite diabolical. —Justine Kenin, NPR, 28 Mar. 2024

Price is deliciously diabolical in the film, which is full of literal and metaphorical trap doors and secret passageways. —Katie Rife, EW.com, 12 Mar. 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