Beelzebub

noun

Beel·​ze·​bub bē-ˈel-zi-ˌbəb How to pronounce Beelzebub (audio)
ˈbēl-zi-,
ˈbel- How to pronounce Beelzebub (audio)
1
: devil
2
: a fallen angel in Milton's Paradise Lost ranking next to Satan

Examples of Beelzebub in a Sentence

Beelzebub himself could not change her mind.
Recent Examples on the Web Cue Beelzebub herself, who arrives with a contract granting him seven wishes in exchange for his soul. Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2023 Apple Somewhere, ol' Beelzebub is putting on his thickest coat because Apple has endorsed a right-to-repair bill, suggesting hell has frozen over. Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 24 Aug. 2023 The demon party really takes off at that point, with two more hellhounds joining Doja in the attic for a Beelzebub dance party. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 1 Sep. 2023 In the finale, it’s revealed that Gabriel had slowly formed a romantic relationship with the head demon Beelzebub (Shelley Conn) following the events of the first season, when Heaven and Hell called off the first apocalypse thanks to Crowley and Aziraphale. Jennifer Maas, Variety, 28 July 2023 Like many presentations of the devil from the 17th century onward, the Judge, who may or may not be Beelzebub, is a fiddle player. Caine O'Rear, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2023 Returning this season in new roles are Miranda Richardson as demon Shax, Maggie Service as Maggie and Nina Sosanya as Nina, with new faces joining the misfits in Heaven and Hell: Liz Carr as angel Saraqael, Quelin Sepulveda as angel Muriel and Shelley Conn as demon Beelzebub. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Beelzebub.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Beelzebub, prince of devils, from Latin, from Greek Beelzeboub, from Hebrew Baʽal zĕbhūbh, a Philistine god, literally, lord of flies

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Beelzebub was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near Beelzebub

Cite this Entry

“Beelzebub.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Beelzebub. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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