variants
or daemon
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
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Recent Examples of demon
The Chicago Blackhawks had to face a demon again Sunday night — the second half of a back-to-back.
—
Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
Lloromannic, a little devil duo consisting of Berry, a demon boy with big ram horns, and Cherry, his cunning demon girl counterpart; Lovelymocha, best friend of Cinnamoroll; U*SA*HA*NA is a lively, colorful rabbit.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 1 Jan. 2026
Vecna's inner demons Holly leads the kids into the mineshaft and starts pushing them through the exit from the fantasyland, but Vecna is close on her heels.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
And he’s not just resurrected as an athlete; Nick’s sense of self, self worth, and ability to chase his dreams while facing his demons is every bit as remarkable.
—Outside Online, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demon
Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
Lloromannic, a little devil duo consisting of Berry, a demon boy with big ram horns, and Cherry, his cunning demon girl counterpart; Lovelymocha, best friend of Cinnamoroll; U*SA*HA*NA is a lively, colorful rabbit.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 1 Jan. 2026
Vecna's inner demons Holly leads the kids into the mineshaft and starts pushing them through the exit from the fantasyland, but Vecna is close on her heels.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
And he’s not just resurrected as an athlete; Nick’s sense of self, self worth, and ability to chase his dreams while facing his demons is every bit as remarkable.
—Outside Online, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demon
Noun
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The ghosts of a 37-0 shutout to Iowa less than a month ago still lingered — the boos that faded into silence, the homecoming crowd that emptied before the fourth quarter, the scoreboard stuck on humiliation.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Pacino stars as the enigmatic titular figure, described as part muse, part ghost of cinema past.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Scream With Me expands on this argument with its analysis of The Exorcist, a movie that Johnson interprets as a parable about physical abuse; its male demon torments and beats a single working mother and her child.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
30 Oct. 2025
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Jeremy Allen White, who always seems to do inchoate torment so well, makes a fine Springsteen.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Kids can trick-or-treat at Calico Ghost Town shops and businesses before the sun falls and ghouls fill the park.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
29 Dec. 2025
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No disrespect to Purnell, who perfectly calibrated Lucy’s intrinsic hopefulness in the first season and slowly begins to curdle it this go-round as Lucy spends more time among ghouls, raiders, cannibals, and various other feuding factions.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The other lives in New Jersey and is accused of talking about a potential terror attack in Boston during a livestream.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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Esmé, along with many patrons and staff, experienced the terror and chaos of the event firsthand.—
Mikelle Street,
Them.,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Nobody wants to deal with our old devil, even if the new one comes with an encroaching open threat actively bubbling in the Caribbean and Latin America at large.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
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But Bourdain, with his devil-be-damned demeanor, somehow makes the dish feel approachable — even though the two chefs’ recipes are pretty similar.—
Gretchen McKay,
Boston Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Slavic folklore about vampires suggests one partial answer to the especial fear of the vulnerable.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
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Mosaku captivated audiences as Annie, a powerful healer and spiritual guide who helps fight off bloodthirsty vampires in Sinners.—
Yamillah Hurtado,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Fallibility is written into our genetic code, and refereeing is basically a nightmare now for everyone involved.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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But more than just a topical procedural thriller, the film also plays out like a Kafka novel about endless invasions of privacy and assumptions of malicious intent that converge to form a modern nightmare.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demon. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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