How to Use diabolical in a Sentence

diabolical

adjective
Definition of diabolicalnext
Synonyms for diabolicalnext
  • The shadow roared in across the lake, like some diabolical gloom or lethal wall of hail.
    — Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2024
  • At the age of ten or so, Alicia felt the presence of this diabolical God.
    — James Wood, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2022
  • The opening minutes of Bones and All are a diabolical bait and switch.
    — A.a. Dowd, Chron, 23 Nov. 2022
  • In the end, this diabolical plot didn’t come to fruition either.
    — Win McCormack, The New Republic, 27 Mar. 2018
  • The show followed the events that transpired in 2019's Avengers: Endgame after the diabolical Norse god stole the Tesseract.
    — Dory Jackson, Peoplemag, 31 July 2023
  • Because that's a pretty diabolical and f---ed up thing to do to your son!
    — Derek Lawrence, EW.com, 27 Sep. 2021
  • That was all there was: a six-year-old image of splintering glass, the blob of milk spreading over the dingy tiles like a diabolical hand.
    — Elif Batuman, The New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2022
  • Thus begins a diabolical homage to the golden age of Broadway, in which the leads are cursed to find true love in order to escape.
    — Chris Norris, Vulture, 23 June 2021
  • But one of the most diabolical methods, right at the top, is asking a designer to do his or her best work all over again.
    — David Netto, ELLE Decor, 15 Oct. 2020
  • But the first cannery on the river opened in 1866, and many more followed, fed by diabolical fish wheels that scooped millions of pounds of fish a year from the water.
    — Sallie Tisdale, Harper's magazine, 10 June 2019
  • The crime sets off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme involving Pam.
    — Lynette Rice, EW.com, 11 May 2021
  • But plastic, of course, has a diabolical longevity with the potential to choke the world.
    — Washington Post, 28 Jan. 2022
  • This kid’s reign wasn’t about control so much as diabolical chaos, as Joffrey’s black little heart drove the realm for a while.
    — Joanna Robinson, HWD, 12 July 2017
  • With his length off the tee and crisp short game, Woods could tame even the most diabolical of Augusta National’s holes.
    — Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2018
  • The cat was fondly named Dia after the airport it was smuggled through and a play on the word diabolical from the viral video, McCloskey said.
    — Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 26 Jan. 2024
  • This is a diabolical way to run a country but a very effective way to stay in power.
    — Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2021
  • Get ready for crazy trek through this maze, with creepy-looking people in pig masks, diabolical scenes of death and despair, and a whole lot of laughter and fun.
    — Brett Bowman, ajc, 21 Sep. 2017
  • On the side of Mount Panorama, it was broken and unpredictable, rusty dirt, grey raggedy scrub grass, and diabolical hills.
    — Roger Robinson, Outside Online, 27 Feb. 2023
  • Scotland Yard suspects a madman, but Holmes believes the killings to be part of a diabolical plot. $5.
    — The Courier-Journal, 26 July 2017
  • Pretty much being diabolical in every step of the way to get here.
    — Laura Johnston, cleveland, 27 May 2022
  • But while the two sides didn't agree, each was surprised to find the other not entirely diabolical.
    — Arkansas Online, 11 Apr. 2021
  • There’s nothing new about diabolical scammers posing as men of the cloth, of course.
    — Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
  • Quentin may be one of the most diabolical characters on TV.
    — William Lee, chicagotribune.com, 12 Mar. 2018
  • The parasite's method is diabolical: A fly dive-bombs an ant and quickly inserts an egg in the ant's thorax.
    — Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010
  • Well, if that bill was mean, this one is downright diabolical.
    — Douglas Perry, OregonLive.com, 22 June 2017
  • Against the current Indeed, Trump in his diabolical shrewdness knows how to build and maintain his own base.
    — David French, The Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2024
  • The Palace, by Roman Polanski, takes aim at the diabolical rottenness of the global elite, then tries to laugh at it.
    — Armond White, National Review, 12 July 2024
  • Choo gets on firmer ground later, once Young-je abducts Hyun-su and explains his diabolical plan of revenge.
    — Noel Murray, latimes.com, 5 Apr. 2018
  • Then, as Claire looks into the eyes of a coyote and senses chaotic energies rising within her, the hum gravitates downward, with double-basses and piano slithering across the classically diabolical interval of the tritone.
    — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
  • Intolerance, superstition, hostility towards all things foreign and diabolical intrigues at the royal court are his biggest enemies.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 21 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'diabolical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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