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
Fred Tupper5
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
J. D. BiersdorferExamples 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
Centered on Zhong Kui, the iconic demon-quelling deity of Chinese folklore, the family-friendly adventure follows a young human girl named Chujiu who accidentally enters the underworld.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 June 2026
In many ways, Rue’s fate had long been sealed, thanks to both her own personal demons and her tense spot between DEA agents and the crime boss Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje).
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 1 June 2026
In the Widow’s Bay episode ‘Our History’, Linklater plays the titular island town’s 18th century founder, who makes a deal with a demon to protect his people through the winter, a deal that comes with supernatural consequences.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 27 May 2026
For most of her career, Gauff has rarely displayed anything close to a meltdown, rarely appeared to wrestle with the emotional demons that so often undo tennis players.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for demon
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Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 June 2026
In many ways, Rue’s fate had long been sealed, thanks to both her own personal demons and her tense spot between DEA agents and the crime boss Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje).
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 1 June 2026
In the Widow’s Bay episode ‘Our History’, Linklater plays the titular island town’s 18th century founder, who makes a deal with a demon to protect his people through the winter, a deal that comes with supernatural consequences.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 27 May 2026
For most of her career, Gauff has rarely displayed anything close to a meltdown, rarely appeared to wrestle with the emotional demons that so often undo tennis players.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for demon
Cite this Entry
“Demon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demon. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
adjective
di-ˈmän-ik
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