1
as in demonic
of, relating to, or worthy of an evil spirit
a fiendish delight in playing cruel tricks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
shook with fiendish laughter as he watched his victims writhe in agony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fiendish
Jumbo brings a humanizing clarity to Lady Macbeth without in the least compromising her character’s fiendish side.
—
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
There's a little bit for every guy, girl and ghoul, no matter what your fiendish tastes.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2024
The red Indian of the Western plains tied his prisoner to the stake, tortured him, and danced in fiendish glee while his victim writhed in the flames.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 21 Feb. 2025
Jumbo brings a humanizing clarity to Lady Macbeth without in the least compromising her character’s fiendish side.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fiendish
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
There's a little bit for every guy, girl and ghoul, no matter what your fiendish tastes.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2024
The red Indian of the Western plains tied his prisoner to the stake, tortured him, and danced in fiendish glee while his victim writhed in the flames.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 21 Feb. 2025
Jumbo brings a humanizing clarity to Lady Macbeth without in the least compromising her character’s fiendish side.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fiendish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fiendish
Adjective
-
This fan-stealing, demonic K-pop group is called the Saja Boys.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
23 Aug. 2025
-
In this case, pressing L2 and R2 at the same time activates a type of vision that will show players demonic contraptions that are invisible to the human eye.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
After being relegated to the bench as his season spirals out of control, shortstop Anthony Volpe returned to the lineup against the Washington Nationals, only for his issues at the plate to reach a brutal new low.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Friends can lie, colleagues can backstab, anyone can die in any number of brutal ways.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
For The Fin, his team worked to make the dim light extra grainy, giving it a particularly sinister quality.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Aug. 2025
-
This turns out to be another name for Galactus, a surprisingly scary Marvel villain played with sinister sincerity by Ralph Ineson.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
As Wallace and Gromit investigate this mysterious thief, their paths cross with the cruel, trigger-happy Lord Victor Quartermaine (Ralph Fiennes), who has his own ambitions for the competition and Wallace’s love interest, Lady Tottington (Helena Bonham Carter).—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Auggie isn’t a cruel, withholding bigot, but a stable and loving parent.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
That the show is a food-star factory is not exactly in the spirit of the bake-offs that inspired it, which were vicious routs among just-above-average home bakers, for almost no measurable reward.—
Ruby Tandoh,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
-
The unique stipulation is the direct result of King's recent, vicious actions against his rival, Myles Borne.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
-
The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
-
Pet sharks and underground labyrinths, unwelcome doppelgängers and vegetable-hungry monster-rabbits, rogue planets heading for Earth and diabolical Red Wizards—what do all these share in common?—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
-
The result is a hollow movie—but its very hollowness gives rise to a diabolical twist that’s more than merely clever.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Sweeney stars as Penny Jo, a South Dakota diner waitress with an appealing smile, an ingratiating stammer, a scarf in her hair, and deep reserves of ruthless ambition.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Early in his career, Trump apprenticed himself to Roy Cohn, an unprincipled lawyer who taught the young Donald how to gain wealth and influence through ruthless bullying, profane braggadocio, opportunistic bigotry, baseless lawsuits, lying, and more lying.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fiendish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fiendish. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share