fiend

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noun \ ˈfēnd \

Definition of fiend

1 a :devil 1

b :demon

c :a person of great wickedness or maliciousness

2 :a person extremely devoted to a pursuit or study :fanatic

a golf fiend

3 :addict 1

a dope fiend

4 :wizard 3

a fiend at mathematics

See fiend defined for English-language learners

See fiend defined for kids

Examples of fiend in a Sentence

His hands were trembling, actually trembling, as if he were some sort of coffee fiend or something. —T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Road to Wellville, 1993
Wodehouse may not have liked Dickens, but he certainly read him. He read like a fiend. —Christopher Hitchens, Times Literary Supplement, 7-13 Sept. 1990
The shameless effrontery of the fiend, at the café, pretending to forget all he had done to her, begging to take up with her again, as if nothing had happened between them a dozen years ago. —Irving Wallace, The Plot, 1967
a fiend in human form
He's a real golf fiend.

Recent Examples of fiend from the Web

Most fragrance fiends either have their favorites on rotation or if monogamy is more their style, stick to one signature scent to be remembered by.

— kaleigh fasanella, Allure, "Fragrance.com Reveals Most Popular Fragrances By State," 21 Aug. 2017
As any bottle blonde or hot tool fiend will tell you, hair conditioners are great and necessary but a deep-treatment hair mask is the real superstar for keeping your locks soft and moisturized.

— lori keong, Marie Claire, "4 Amazing Homemade Hair Masks for Healthier Looking Strands," 19 July 2017
The whole thing makes for a sugar fiend's dream come true.

— zachariah durr, cleveland.com, "Galaxy of the Unicorn - the crazy, magical bubble tea available this Saturday," 8 July 2017
Where nails are concerned, many manicure fiends are loyal to go-to nail shapes — from square and oval to a mixture of the two.

— kaleigh fasanella, Teen Vogue, "Woman’s “Round” Nail Art Fail Goes Viral," 5 July 2017
Hjlamarsson was the most reliable defender on the Hawks, not to mention a shot-blocking fiend.

— steve rosenbloom, chicagotribune.com, "So, where exactly are we with the trade-crazy Blackhawks?," 23 June 2017
Karlie Kloss — model, Taylor Swift bestie, coder, and cookie fiend — sat on a panel with Hearst chief content officer Joanna Coles during the third day of the Cannes Lion festival.

— lilian min, Cosmopolitan, "Karlie Kloss Was Called "Too Fat" and "Too Skinny" By Fashion Folks on the Same Day," 21 June 2017
A rural tea district in Bangladesh may soon become a major destination for contemporary art fiends.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Sprawling Contemporary Art Museum to Open in Bangladesh," 23 May 2017
Culture fiends will be happy to know that the fares also hold for the Day of the Dead festival (October 31 to November 2), which besides peak summer, Christmas, or New Year’s, is one of the most expensive times to visit Mexico.

— cassie shortsleeve, Condé Nast Traveler, "Flight Deal: U.S. to Mexico from $209 Round-Trip," 22 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fiend.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of fiend

Middle English, from Old English fīend; akin to Old High German fīant enemy, Sanskrit pīyati he reviles, blames

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

fiend Synonyms

Synonyms

baddie (or baddy), beast, brute, caitiff, devil, evildoer, villain, heavy, hound, knave, meanie (also meany), miscreant, monster, nazi, no-good, rapscallion, rascal, reprobate, rogue, savage, scalawag (or scallywag), scamp, scapegrace, scoundrel, varlet, wretch

Antonyms

nonaddict, nonuser

Related Words

villainess; blackguard; criminal, crook, culprit, felon, lawbreaker, malefactor, offender, perp, perpetrator, transgressor; sinner, trespasser, wrongdoer; cad, heel, serpent, snake, viper; bandit, bravo, desperado, outlaw; con, convict, jailbird; assassin, cutthroat, gangster, goon, gunman, hoodlum, hooligan, racketeer, ruffian, thug; rough, rowdy, tough; loser, lowlife, ne'er-do-well, stinker, trash

Near Antonyms

angel, innocent, saint; hero

FIEND Defined for English Language Learners

fiend

play

noun

Definition of fiend for English Language Learners

: an evil spirit : a demon or devil
: a very evil or cruel person
: a person who is very enthusiastic about something

FIEND Defined for Kids

fiend

play

noun \ ˈfēnd \

Definition of fiend for Students

1 :demon 1, devil

2 :a very wicked or cruel person

3 :²fanatic

a golf fiend

—

fiendish

\ˈfēn-dish\ adjective

a fiendish trick

—

fiendishly

adverb

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FIEND Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of fiend for English Language Learners

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