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Like the word devil, "diabolical" traces back to Latin diabolus, which itself descends from Greek diabolos, a word that literally means "slanderer." In English, "diabolical" has many nuances of meaning. It can describe the devil himself (as in "my diabolical visitor") or anything related to or characteristic of him in appearance, behavior, or thought; examples include "diabolical lore," "a diabolical grin," and "a diabolical plot." In British slang, "diabolical" can also mean "disgraceful" or "bad," as in "the food was diabolical."
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Examples of diabolical in a Sentence
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 July 2024
At that very moment, The Manager and important stakeholders in Leland’s diabolical organization are gathered for a big occasion centered on little Timothy.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 11 July 2024
Believing others are Satan or some equally diabolical character, those very few may burn down a house or push someone off a subway platform, bowing to demands issued by their inner voices.
—Cheryl Roberts, New York Daily News, 2 June 2024
Like the sin hunters of the ’80s, the franchise’s diabolical Jigsaw (a.k.a.
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 1 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for diabolical 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'diabolical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Diabolical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diabolical. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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diabolical
adjective
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