Faustian

[fou-stee-uhn]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Faust.

   a Faustian novel.

2. sacrificing spiritual values for power, knowledge, or material gain.

   a Faustian pact with the Devil.

3. characterized by spiritual dissatisfaction or torment.

4. possessed with a hunger for knowledge or mastery.

ˈFaustian

/ ˈfaʊstɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Faust, esp reminiscent of his bargain with the devil

Word History and Origins

Origin of Faustian¹

First recorded in 1875–80; Faust + -ian

Example Sentences

This reflects into the Faustian pact implicit in Kissinger’s brand of foreign policy realism — realpolitik in the original German — with its empty promise that if we treat other countries badly, America will benefit.

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Maggie’s Faustian trade of other people’s pain for her stature and comfort, however, has enough familiarity to make some of us stuff down a frustrated scream.

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“I remember being in the set and being like, ‘This is so cool that I can have my own experience inside this Faustian experience,’” Baron says of “Life & Trust.”

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That’s what made Brady Corbet’s “Vox Lux” — which should be considered the preeminent examination of the contemporary pop star — so beguiling: It saw fame as a Faustian pact with the devil.

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The BBC story concludes by highlighting the desperation that drove the Trumpists in that community to make a Faustian bargain with their “savior”:

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