adjective
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of a demon; fiendish
-
inspired or possessed by a demon, or seemingly so
demonic laughter
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
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
Andy and Barbara Muschietti, co-creators of HBO’s prequel drama about Stephen King’s demonic clown, flavor the scarefest with themes of fascism, bigotry and the loss of innocence.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025
Franco has been “demonized,” but he wasn’t demonic, Mr. Payne says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025
Amid all of this, Scotland put in some almighty defensive sets, repelling the All Blacks with a demonic intent.
From BBC • Nov. 8, 2025
And his head hurt—each time he opened his eyes, beams of feverish, demonic pain shot through his brain.
From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green
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.
