demon

noun

de·​mon ˈdē-mən How to pronounce demon (audio)
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 adjective

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
An anime about a teenager avenging the deaths of his family at the hands of hordes of carnivorous demons wouldn’t usually be the sort of film which would be met with unanimous praise from critics. Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025 Voice cast regulars Natsuki Hanae (Tanjiro), Akari Kitō (Nezuko), Hiro Shimono (Zenitsu) and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Inosuke) return as the Demon Slayer Corps embarks on a climactic assault against the demon king Muzan Kibutsuji. Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 13 Sep. 2025 By absorbing the frenzied reverence, the Saja Boys can break through the Honmoon, a fictional barrier that protects humans from the demon world, which would unleash chaos. Yvonne Kim, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025 Where King saw Jack Torrence, a man brought down by his demons (and some spectral ones) as a tragedy, Kubrick saw a monster from the jump. James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for demon

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

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

Cite this Entry

“Demon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demon. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

demon

noun
de·​mon
variants or daemon
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

More from Merriam-Webster on demon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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