Faustian

[fou-stee-uhn]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Faust.

   a Faustian novel.

2. sacrificing spiritual values for power, knowledge, or material gain.

   a Faustian pact with the Devil.

3. characterized by spiritual dissatisfaction or torment.

4. possessed with a hunger for knowledge or mastery.

ˈFaustian

/ ˈfaʊstɪən /

adjective

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Faustian¹

First recorded in 1875–80; Faust + -ian

Example Sentences

“I remember being in the set and being like, ‘This is so cool that I can have my own experience inside this Faustian experience,’” Baron says of “Life & Trust.”

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That’s what made Brady Corbet’s “Vox Lux” — which should be considered the preeminent examination of the contemporary pop star — so beguiling: It saw fame as a Faustian pact with the devil.

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The BBC story concludes by highlighting the desperation that drove the Trumpists in that community to make a Faustian bargain with their “savior”:

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Such Faustian bargains always come with strings attached.

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But the way in which he gives his loved ones up for dead is either an acceptance of futility or a compromise of conscience even more chilling than Riefenstahl’s Faustian pact with Hitler.

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