demon

noun

ˈdē-mən How to pronounce demon (audio)
variants or daemon
Definition of demonnext
1
as in ghost
an evil spirit only in rare cases is the ancient rite of exorcism performed to cast out a troublesome demon

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in torment
a source of persistent emotional distress a man who was finally able to conquer his demons and kick his drug habit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of demon Alfred Dreyfus to warn that the ‘demons of antisemitism’ haunting France’s past are again darkening its present. — Masha MacPherson, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026 Philadelphia came back against the Celtics from down 3-1 to exorcise some demons, too. — Zach Harper, New York Times, 7 July 2026 Other ubiquitous Chinese deities, such as the regal Jade Emperor, the faithful warrior Guan Yu, the wondrous savior Mazu, and the demon-quelling Zhong Kui, fill both the popular imagination and the stuff of Daoist ritual. — Michael Naparstek, The Conversation, 6 July 2026 Wynonna, with help from her younger sister, the town’s sheriff and an infamous Wild West gunslinger, must save her hometown from demons and other supernatural creatures. — Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for demon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demon
  1. ghost
  2. torment
  3. ghoul
  4. terror
  5. devil
  6. vampire
  7. nightmare
Noun
  • The first major Roman poet, Ennius, describes a dream in which Homer’s ghost appeared to him and explained that souls transmigrate after bodily death; this poetic spirit would now take up residence in Ennius.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
  • When Odysseus meets Sinon’s ghost — enraged by the circumstances of his death outside Troy — at the entrance to the underworld during his voyage home, Sinon warns Odysseus of the dangers his family faces back in Ithaca.
    — Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
Definition of ghost
Noun
  • Sochor confessed to the crime, but her body has never been found − still a torment to her family.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • By homing in on the psychological torment of winning the crown, the show offers a surprising detour from familiar carnage—while suggesting that disappointment over a seemingly ideal position can be as crushing as a defeat on the battlefield.
    — Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026
Definition of torment
Noun
  • Night of the Living Dead centers all the action at a farmhouse, where seven people attempt to ward off the ghouls — without any prior knowledge of how to do so.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026
  • As boss-man turns into a cantering, slavering, apparently all-over treble-jointed ghoul, Young-cheol announces that his own living blood contains the only antidote.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 29 May 2026
Definition of ghoul
Noun
  • What started as a campaign to diminish Iran’s nuclear capabilities and weaken its global terror networks has morphed into a dispute over control of one of the world’s most important trade routes.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • In these novels, the main character has been so absurdly addled by a (late-revealed) trauma that everyday human interactions are wildly aglow with (at first) terror or (later) manic-pixie wonder.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of terror
Noun
  • Common examples include dumb cane, calla lily, pothos or devil’s ivy, peace lily, Chinese evergreen, elephant ear, ZZ plant, philodendron, Swiss cheese plant and flamingo plant.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
  • On the finish, notes of warming oak with tannins to spare, devil’s food cake, root beer, demerara syrup, black cherry, vanilla, espresso grounds and clove.
    — Chris Perugini, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of devil
Noun
  • The countdown clock is ticking, and both Lestat the vampire and Lestat the TV season are frittering away their last moments on restating the facts.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • The vampire saved the show from imminent cancelation, prompting a spike in ratings and a new direction away from a moody Jane Eyre-like gothic romance style to outright supernatural (if unintentionally campy) horror.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 July 2026
Definition of vampire
Noun
  • Once contracted, the parasite basically results in a bathroom nightmare.
    — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Elite hands, strong and a schematic nightmare for defensive coordinators.
    — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 15 July 2026
Definition of nightmare

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demolitions
demon
demonetize
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Cite this Entry

“Demon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demon. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on demon

Nglish: Translation of demon for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about demon

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