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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."
Examples of diabolical in a Sentence
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Yet, as time passes, the pair end up engaging in a full-blown and increasingly diabolical war.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
Their challenge on Frankenstein was bringing to the big screen the horror-meister’s vision of egotistical scientist Victor Frankenstein and his monster as part of a diabolical experiment.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Some don’t think about it; others call it exhilarating or existential, even diabolical.
—Sumera Riaz, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Diabolical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diabolical. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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diabolical
adjective
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