fiendish

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 Eubank's camerawork often puts audiences inside Norah's helmet, playing up just how dire their circumstances are with the fiendish suggestion its glass might crack at any point. — Isaac Feldberg, Fortune, "What to Watch (and Skip) in Theaters and on HBO This Weekend," 10 Jan. 2020 Henry’s taut prose and efficient character development propel the story to a fiendish twist of an ending. — oregonlive, "Another Read Through is leaving Mississippi Avenue, and other Oregon book news," 13 Dec. 2019 The cyclical, if severe, storm had the fiendish luck of bringing together heavy rains, high tide, and a lack of preparation. — Jessica Wapner, Quartz, "Vietnamese women are hit harder by climate change—but they’re starting to fight back," 1 Dec. 2019 Peer past his outsized personality, obsession with professional wrestling, exhilaration rumbling downfield after catches, transcendent numbers in two-plus NFL seasons and fiendish tattoo on the inside of his left forearm. — Ron Kroichick, SFChronicle.com, "49ers’ George Kittle: Big numbers, big personality, soft spot for Dad’s wisdom," 19 Oct. 2019 From mini-monsters, creepy couples, fiendish families, and more the Zombie Fashion Show has it all. — courant.com, "Community News For The Putnam-Killingly Edition," 7 Oct. 2019 But something has been lost in the fiendish goal of perplexing the bakers—and the audience—in the service of TV drama. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, "Great British Baking Show," 3 Oct. 2019 The Gewandhaus players lacked the fiendish exactitude of their Berlin colleagues, but the performance took on human complexity as a result. — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, "Kirill Petrenko’s Unadventurous Début at the Berlin Philharmonic," 9 Sep. 2019 In Florida, fiendish clowns were spotted lurking by the side of the road. — Frank T. Mcandrew, Quartzy, "The psychology behind why we find clowns so creepy," 6 Sep. 2019

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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Last Updated

22 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Fiendish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiendish. Accessed 18 Feb. 2020.

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