Faustian

[ fou-stee-uhn ]

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of Faust: a Faustian novel.
sacrificing spiritual values for power, knowledge, or material gain: a Faustian pact with the Devil.

characterized by spiritual dissatisfaction or torment.
possessed with a hunger for knowledge or mastery.

Origin of Faustian

First recorded in 1875–80; Faust + -ian

Words Nearby Faustian

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Faustian in a sentence

Bain Capital partner Edward Conard struck a Faustian pact with the publicity Devil.
David's Book Club: Unintended Consequences | David Frum | July 3, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Faustus is likely derived from Hephaestus—a Faustian struggle is between good and evil.
Your Week: What the Stars Hold | Starsky + Cox | September 4, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
All this can be traced to a Faustian bargain Republicans made precisely 100 years after President Lincoln was re-elected.
The GOP's Vote for Hate—and Suicide | John Avlon | July 13, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
But yanked into the national spotlight by hidden cameras, it brought him a Faustian opportunity.
Gandhi Family Feud | Shoma Chaudhury | April 12, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
Let's get Faustian about this and raise the tempo, I nearly implored.
The Land of Look Behind | Paul Cameron Brown

Each transaction in the transient corresponds to a pragmatics that transforms the Faustian promise into an advertising slogan.
The Civilization of Illiteracy | Mihai Nadin

British Dictionary definitions for Faustian

Faustian

/ (ˈfaʊstɪən) /

adjective

of or relating to Faust, esp reminiscent of his bargain with the 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

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