demon

noun

de·​mon ˈdē-mən 

variants or daemon

plural demons or daemons

1

a

: an evil spirit

angels and demons

b

: a source or agent of evil, harm, distress, or ruin

the demons of drug and alcohol addiction

confronting the demons of his childhood

2

usually daemon : an attendant (see attendant entry 2 sense 1) power or spirit : genius

3

usually daemon mythology : a supernatural being whose nature is intermediate between that of a god and that of a human being

4

: one that has exceptional enthusiasm, drive, or effectiveness

a demon for work

Doug, putting like a demon, had birdies on the third and sixth …

—Fred Tupper

5

daemon : a software program or process that runs in the background

A mailer daemon installed on an e-mail system can respond to a piece of incorrectly addressed e-mail by generating an automated message to the sender that the message was undeliverable.

—J. D. Biersdorfer

demonian

di-ˈmō-nē-ən 

adjective

Synonyms

• cacodemon
• devil
• fiend
• ghost
• ghoul
• ghoulie
• imp
• shaitan

Examples of demon in a Sentence

only in rare cases is the ancient rite of exorcism performed to cast out a troublesome demon

a man who was finally able to conquer his demons and kick his drug habit

Recent Examples on the Web

As durability has become less of a concern — Leonard has played in 30 and George 32 of the team’s 34 games — the Clippers have shown an ability to exorcise other past demons. —Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2024

Huma Bhabha David Zwirner (February 22–April 6) Bhabha’s rough-hewn, totemic sculptures depict demons, deities, and warning spirits. —Vulture, 3 Jan. 2024

While men and their insecurities sucked all the oxygen out of the first three seasons — frequently with full intent — the new season is dominated by women, shaped by demons as unsettling as those that warped and drove Rust Cohle and Ray Velcoro and Wayne Hays in the earlier installments. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Jan. 2024

Tension builds as they get drawn into a gruesome cult of posh demons who feast on the souls of sacrificed children. —Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023

Roberts’ specialty is in muting that madness, having led the team through the distractions of Yasiel Puig, the demons of COVID, and the departures of stars such as Corey Seager and veterans such as Justin Turner. —Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2023

The Gentlemen soon became iconic Buffy demons and are regularly cited by fans as the show’s most frightening and creepy villains. —Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Dec. 2023

When another Chinese violinist arrives to challenge her place, Fei’s internal demons take external form. —Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 12 Dec. 2023

But Bruce never went to prison, and the demons that tormented him were mostly personal. —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "evil spirit," borrowed from Late Latin daemōn "evil spirit, pagan deity, idol," going back to Latin, "supernatural being, spirit intermediate between humans and gods," borrowed from Greek daimon-, daímōn "superhuman power, variably evil or beneficent, intervening in human affairs, fate" (Homeric), "personal spirit, bringing luck or ill, that accompanies an individual," "spirit intermediate between humans and gods" (Plato), "evil spirit" (New Testament), probably from dai-, stem of daíomai, daíesthai "to divide, allocate" + -mōn, deverbal noun and adjective suffix — more at tide entry 1

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing demon

• like a demon
• demon drink
• speed demon
• the demon drink

• like a demon
• demon drink
• speed demon
• the demon drink

Kids Definition

demon

noun

de·​mon

variants or daemon

ˈdē-mən 

1

: an evil spirit

2

usually daemon : an accompanying power or spirit : genius

3

usually daemon : demigod sense 1

4

: one that has a lot of energy

a demon for work

demonic

di-ˈmän-ik

adjective