fiendish

adjective

fiend·ish | \ ˈfēn-dish

How to pronounce fiendish (audio)

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Definition of fiendish

1 : perversely diabolical took a fiendish pleasure in hurting people

2 : extremely cruel or wicked

3 : excessively bad, unpleasant, or difficult fiendish weather

Other Words from fiendish Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about fiendish

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Examples of fiendish in a Sentence

He takes a fiendish delight in hurting people. a fiendish delight in playing cruel tricks

Recent Examples on the Web Pajamas were modern, freeing women from corsets and other fiendish constraints. — Washington Post, "This is our pajama moment," 7 Dec. 2020 In Below Deck’s fiendish version of reality, the guests are less characters than caricatures of ludicrous wealth. — Darren Franich, EW.com, "The politics of Below Deck," 12 Oct. 2020 That head housed a singular brain, which again and again allowed Poirot to outperform the police, outfox criminals and solve the most complex and fiendish murders. — Sophie Hannah, Star Tribune, "Review: 'The Killings at Kingfisher Hill,' by Sophie Hannah," 11 Sep. 2020 As a fiendish terrorist-thief hunting down an illicit $100 million payday in the high-altitude, high-octane thriller, Lithgow matched both wits and blows with Sylvester Stallone. — Dan Snierson, EW.com, "John Lithgow reveals the roles that fans most recognize him for," 28 June 2020 The aim was not one of fiendish engineering, to change eye color, which would have been merely cosmetic. — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, "Revisiting Mengele’s Malignant “Race Science”," 15 June 2020 Revisiting these novels in audio format is a way to acquaint myself anew with the fiendish plots, terrific prose and indelible characters, and to experience a different version of the initial infatuation. — Sarah Weinman, New York Times, "‘Killing People in Fiction Was Fun’: Mysteries That Have Stood the Test of Time," 15 May 2020 Is your company’s dress code just a secret test of high-level reasoning skills designed by fiendish bosses? — Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, "The Office Dress Code Should Never Come Back," 13 Apr. 2020 Part of the problem is simply the fiendish nature of the pathogen. — Mark Landler, New York Times, "A Fumbled Global Response to the Virus in a Leadership Void," 10 Mar. 2020

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

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Cite this Entry

“Fiendish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiendish. Accessed 5 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for fiendish

fiendish

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of fiendish

: very evil or cruel

: extremely bad, unpleasant, or difficult

See the full definition for fiendish in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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