Ahriman

noun

Ah·​ri·​man ˈär-i-mən How to pronounce Ahriman (audio)
-ˌmän
: Ahura Mazda's antagonist who is a spirit of darkness and evil in Zoroastrianism

Word History

Etymology

Persian, modification of Avestan aṅrō mainyuš hostile spirit

First Known Use

1727, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Ahriman was in 1727

Dictionary Entries Near Ahriman

ahoy

Ahriman

ah-shucks

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Ahriman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ahriman. Accessed 29 Jan. 2023.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of rubric

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Commonly Confused Words Quiz

  • vector image of a face with thought expression
  • I went to the ______ store to buy a birthday card.
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games