fiendish
Americanadjective
adjective
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of or like a fiend
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diabolically wicked or cruel
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informal extremely difficult or unpleasant
a fiendish problem
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fiendish
Explanation
To be fiendish is to be cruel or evil. You might choose not to watch horror films — or soap operas — if you're not a fan of seeing people do fiendish things to each other. Fiendish behavior is terrible and vicious, and fiendish people behave without kindness or conscience. An informal, less serious way to use the adjective is to mean "complicated or difficult." You might, for example, describe your fiendish calculus exam or rave about the fiendish plot in your favorite book. Fiendish comes from fiend, "evil spirit," with its Old English root feogan, "to hate."
Vocabulary lists containing fiendish
Coraline
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"The Witches" by Roald Dahl, Chapters 6–11
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The Egypt Game
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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.
Fiendish Fu races archaeologists and a Scotland Yard inspector to the relics of Genghis Khan.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2020
A show opening April 2 called “A Fiendish Assassination” includes dozens of items connected to Lincoln’s death, including a photo of him in his coffin.
From Washington Times • Mar. 31, 2015
Fiendish firepots, devised of oily rags, candles, tin cans, were picked up.
From Time Magazine Archive
Fiendish laughter seemed to come from the red throat, as the tongue licked higher and higher.
From Told by the Death's Head A Romantic Tale by J?kai, M?r
Fiendish laughter has departed with the Middle Ages, but what delights the schoolboy more than the red-hot poker in the pantomime?
From History of English Humour, Vol. 2 by L'Estrange, Alfred Guy Kingan
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.
