Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Daesh

American  
[dah-eesh, dahsh] / dɑˈiʃ, dɑʃ /
Or Da'ish or Da'esh

noun

  1. a name used to refer to ISIS/ISIL, the radical Sunni Muslim organization: use of this name is said to delegitimize the group's claim to be an "Islamic state."


Etymology

Origin of Daesh

Acronym of the group's full Arabic name, al-Dawla al-Islamiya fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham , translated as “Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (or the Levant)”

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.

See Examples For:

"They liberated many Syrian cities and towns, first from the Baathist regime, then from the terrorism of Daesh," he continued, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

From Barron's Aug. 25, 2026

IS - also known as Daesh - imposed jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq until 2019.

From BBC Jan. 3, 2026

"Basij, Guards, you are our Daesh," protesters chanted, likening the Revolutionary Guards and other security forces to the Islamic State group.

From Reuters Mar. 4, 2023

U.N. counterterrorism chief Vladimir Voronkov also warned the Security Council that the threat from Daesh has been rising ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.

From Seattle Times Aug. 9, 2022

The mission was under the control of Operation Inherent Resolve - the US-led coalition against the Islamic State, also known as Daesh.

From Washington Times Jun. 16, 2022

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training