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."
the police quickly mobilized to track down the diabolical criminals before they struck again
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Instead of staging a standard elimination competition involving a hamster wheel maze, Reindeer Games introduced a diabolical twist.—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025 In a diabolical variation on the real hot-seat technique, students pelt each other with accusations before coming together in a group snuggle that’s at least as disturbing as the emotional—and sometimes physical—violence.—Judy Berman, Time, 25 Sep. 2025 The black and-white film was playing on the wall again, the masked couple walking more quickly, backward now around the fountain, something diabolical in their smiles.—Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025 Greens are guarded with some diabolical sand traps, and the usually whipping wind forces you to plot every shot.—Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for diabolical
Word History
Etymology
diabolical from diabolic + -ical; diabolic going back to Middle English deabolik, borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French dyabolique, borrowed from Late Latin diabolicus, borrowed from Late Greek diabolikós, going back to Greek, "slanderous," from diábolos "accuser, backbiter, slanderer" + -ikos-ic entry 1 — more at devil entry 1
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