adjective
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of, relating to, or characteristic of a demon; fiendish
-
inspired or possessed by a demon, or seemingly so
demonic laughter
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of demonic
1655–65; < Late Latin daemonicus < Greek daimonikós, equivalent to daimon- demon- + -ikos -ic
Explanation
Demonic is a word to describe behavior or people who are extremely evil or cruel. It helps to understand this word if you know a demon is a creature of hell. Demonic has that same kind of hellish, diabolical, fiendish, infernal, satanic, unholy quality. This word should not be used lightly. Stealing a candy bar, though wrong, is not demonic. Truly evil behavior, like being a serial killer, is more likely to be described as demonic. In superhero movies, the supervillains are likely to be demonic, since they are more evil than common storybook villains.
Vocabulary lists containing demonic
"What Is the Horror Genre?" Vocabulary from the literary criticism
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Evil
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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.
Curry’s terrifying portrait of the demonic clown in the 1990 TV adaptation of Stephen King novel ‘It’ set a high bar that for some fans of the horror franchise has been difficult to clear.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Still, he insists he knows a demonic possession when he sees one.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
While some more skeptically minded clergy do not enjoy discussing demonic possession, each diocese is supposed to have a designated exorcist.
From Slate ● Jun. 8, 2026
The architect’s mischievous side comes through in countless sketches for his famous gargoyles, which achieve “both anatomical coherence and a sense of demonic vitality.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 18, 2026
They both turned their little black eyes toward me—bulging with demonic light—and clawed hysterically at the bars that were hardly holding them from escape.
From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt
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.
