diabolic

or di·a·bol·i·cal

[dahy-uh-bol-ik or dahy-uh-bol-i-kuh l]

See more synonyms for diabolic on Thesaurus.com

adjective

having the qualities of a devil; devilish; fiendish; outrageously wicked: a diabolic plot.
pertaining to or actuated by a devil.

Origin of diabolic

1350–1400; Middle English diabolik (< Middle French) < Late Latin diabolicus < Greek diabolikós, equivalent to diábol(os) devil + -ikos -ic

Related formsdi·a·bol·i·cal·ly, adverbdi·a·bol·i·cal·ness, nounhy·per·di·a·bol·i·cal, adjectivehy·per·di·a·bol·i·cal·ly, adverbhy·per·di·a·bol·i·cal·ness, nounnon·di·a·bol·ic, adjectivenon·di·a·bol·i·cal, adjectivenon·di·a·bol·i·cal·ly, adverbnon·di·a·bol·i·cal·ness, nounsu·per·di·a·bol·i·cal, adjectivesu·per·di·a·bol·i·cal·ly, adverbsu·per·di·a·bol·i·cal·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for diabolical

Contemporary Examples

At some point, show creator Mark Burnett made the diabolical decision to extend the show to 120 minutes.
Donald Trump Fires Woman For Not Calling Bill Cosby
Jack Holmes, The Daily Beast Video
January 5, 2015
Sharry blames a “diabolical marketing scheme” by smugglers that led to a sudden doubling of the numbers.
The White House’s Woman in the Immigration Crosshairs
Eleanor Clift
July 31, 2014
The most diabolical gift you can give a grad is my book How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big.
10 Terrible Gift Ideas for Graduates From Dilbert Creator Scott Adams
Scott Adams
May 17, 2014
Park did his best to rescue the diabolical concoction from absurdity.
What Asian Film Remakes Like ‘Oldboy’ Get Wrong
Jimmy So
November 26, 2013
Meet the diabolical family-like group who runs one of the biggest—and most frightening—haunted houses in America.
The House of Shock Is Terrifying Its Guests and Causing Controversy—and the Zombies Who Run the Show Are Loving It
Tyler Gillespie
October 25, 2013

Historical Examples

I didn't know there was any one living who could be so cruel, so cold, so diabolical.
Dust
Mr. and Mrs. Haldeman-Julius
That face, now ashy white, was distorted into a diabolical grin.
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates
Howard Pyle
And let me know your progress with Lovelace, and what he says to this diabolical curse.
Clarissa, Volume 3 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
The cat looked at him with great round eyes that were diabolical in their fixedness.
Therese Raquin
Emile Zola
It appears that one of these diabolical insects had got into my blankets.
Brighter Britain! (Volume 1 of 2)
William Delisle Hay

British Dictionary definitions for diabolical

diabolical

adjective informal

excruciatingly bad; outrageous
(intensifier)a diabolical liberty

Derived Formsdiabolically, adverbdiabolicalness, noun

diabolic

adjective

of, relating to, or proceeding from the devil; satanic
befitting a devil; extremely cruel or wicked; fiendish
very difficult or unpleasant

Derived Formsdiabolically, adverbdiabolicalness, noun

Word Origin

C14: from Late Latin diabolicus, from Greek diabolikos, from diabolos devil

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

Word Origin and History for diabolical

adj.

c.1500, "pertaining to the devil," from diabolic + -al (1). Meaning "befitting the devil" is from 1540s. Related: Diabolically.

diabolic

adj.

late 14c., from Old French diabolique (13c.), from Late Latin diabolicus, from Ecclesiastical Greek diabolikos "devilish," from diabolos (see devil (n.)).

diabolic

or di·a·bol·i·cal

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}diabolic

Examples from the Web for diabolical

Contemporary Examples

At some point, show creator Mark Burnett made the diabolical decision to extend the show to 120 minutes.

Sharry blames a “diabolical marketing scheme” by smugglers that led to a sudden doubling of the numbers.

The most diabolical gift you can give a grad is my book How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big.

Park did his best to rescue the diabolical concoction from absurdity.

Meet the diabolical family-like group who runs one of the biggest—and most frightening—haunted houses in America.

Historical Examples

I didn't know there was any one living who could be so cruel, so cold, so diabolical.

That face, now ashy white, was distorted into a diabolical grin.

And let me know your progress with Lovelace, and what he says to this diabolical curse.

The cat looked at him with great round eyes that were diabolical in their fixedness.

It appears that one of these diabolical insects had got into my blankets.

diabolical

diabolic

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for diabolical

adj.

diabolic

adj.

Origin of diabolic