- a variation of diabolical.
diabolic
Americanadjective
adjective
-
of, relating to, or proceeding from the devil; satanic
-
befitting a devil; extremely cruel or wicked; fiendish
-
very difficult or unpleasant
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of diabolic
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English diabolik, from Middle French or directly from Late Latin diabolicus, from Greek diabolikós, equivalent to diábo(os) devil + -ikos -ic
Explanation
Use the adjective diabolic to describe someone who acts in a terribly cruel way. A diabolic boy might pick up a cat by its tail and swing it around. When people are diabolic, they're evil. The horrible dictator who has thousands of civilians killed commits a diabolic act, and people who abuse children are also diabolic. The bad guy in a fairy tale is always diabolic. You can use diabolic interchangeably with the slightly more common diabolical. Both words have a Greek root, diabolikos, which means "devilish" and comes from diabolus, or "devil."
Vocabulary lists containing diabolic
"On Being Brought from Africa to America" by Phillis Wheatley
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The Suffix -ic, Part 2
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Selection Vocabulary 1, Unit 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"DIABOLIC, DEMONIC" "He was diabolical, demonic," Hickenlooper said.
From Reuters • Jul. 23, 2012
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
