Belial
Americannoun
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Theology. the spirit of evil personified; the devil; Satan.
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(in Milton'sParadise Lost ) one of the fallen angels.
noun
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a demon mentioned frequently in apocalyptic literature: identified in the Christian tradition with the devil or Satan
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(in the Old Testament and rabbinical literature) worthlessness or wickedness
Etymology
Origin of Belial
< Hebrew bəliyyaʿal, equivalent to bəlī without + yaʿal, worth, use
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.
The Messiah, the Teacher of Righteousness, is opposed to a Demon of Evil, most frequently known as Belial or Beliar.
From The New Yorker ● May 6, 1955
It ended four days later as one of the century's wickedest storms, a Belial of a blizzard that disrupted life for millions in the eastern third of the nation and caused at least 208 deaths.
From Time Magazine Archive
He tongue-lashed the backwoods yokelry until they jumped up, tore hair, foamed at mouth, shrieked remorse, fought Belial, collapsed exhausted but good Methodists.
From Time Magazine Archive
For in lower California during the 22nd Century, Belial, the devil himself, rules; his victory over "the Other One" was consolidated in Atomic War, though his battle for power began centuries before.
From Time Magazine Archive
Moloch was for open war; Belial had great faith in the force of circumstances; and Mammon was for organizing their new kingdom so as to make it as comfortable as possible.
From The Three Devils: Luther's, Milton's, and Goethe's With Other Essays by Masson, David
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.
