demoniac

[ dih-moh-nee-ak, dee-muh-nahy-ak ]
See synonyms for demoniac on Thesaurus.com
adjectiveAlso de·mo·ni·a·cal [dee-muh-nahy-uh-kuhl]. /ˌdi məˈnaɪ ə kəl/.
  1. of, relating to, or like a demon; demonic: demoniac laughter.

  2. possessed by or as by an evil spirit; raging; frantic.

noun
  1. a person seemingly possessed by a demon or evil spirit.

Origin of demoniac

1
1350–1400; Middle English <Late Latin daemoniacus<Greek daimoniakós, equivalent to daimóni(os) pertaining to a daemon + -akos-ac

Opposites for demoniac

Other words from demoniac

  • de·mo·ni·a·cal·ly [dee-muh-nahy-ik-lee], /ˌdi məˈnaɪ ɪk li/, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use demoniac in a sentence

  • It is true that, at present, all is changed, and that there are now no more magicians than there are demoniacs.

    A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 3 (of 10) | Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
  • Such men, according to the temper of the times, are burnt as demoniacs or pitied as lunatics.

    William Blake | Algernon Charles Swinburne
  • At eleven all the neighbours turn out their dogs to bark, and the dogs waken the cats, which scream like demoniacs.

    Lost Leaders | Andrew Lang
  • Two demoniacs, inhabiting the tombs in the neighborhood, rendered this passage dangerous.

    Ecce Homo! | Paul Henry Thiry Baron d' Holbach
  • Devils or demons, and the 'prince of the devils,' frequently appear; and the demoniacs may represent the victims of witchcraft.

British Dictionary definitions for demoniac

demoniac

/ (dɪˈməʊnɪˌæk) /


adjectivealso: demoniacal (ˌdiːməˈnaɪəkəl)
  1. of, like, or suggestive of a demon; demonic

  2. suggesting inner possession or inspiration: the demoniac fire of genius

  1. frantic; frenzied; feverish: demoniac activity

noun
  1. a person possessed by an evil spirit or demon

Derived forms of demoniac

  • demoniacally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012