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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."
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Examples of diabolical in a Sentence
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 Nov. 2024
The camera floats around the room like an invisible spider, circling and circling, weaving this trio into a diabolical web.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2024
Other even stranger and more diabolical evils are also at play, as our heroes try to unravel the secrets of the town and find some way to escape.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
There’s the final final confrontation between Alice and the diabolical Dr. Isaacs.
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Diabolical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diabolical. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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diabolical
adjective
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