demons

noun

variants or daemons
plural of demon
1
as in ghosts
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 terrors
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 demons And then there was Schmeichel, raised in a Copenhagen tower block, the son of a Polish jazz musician who battled his demons for years. — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 27 July 2026 Alice, meanwhile, is wrestling with demons of her own, searching for solutions that feel impossible to reach within the bounds of what’s acceptable. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 27 July 2026 Sharing personal demons and political passions go hand in hand for 23-year-old Rodrigo. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 23 July 2026 Later, another nerdy boy will fall prey to their antics, yet there’s no gruesome violence on sight, only a melancholic and ethereal exorcizing of the demons that plague Emily’s heart. — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 July 2026 Also featured in the film is the K-pop singing group Saja Boys — Jinu, Mystery, Abby, Romance and Baby — who are concealing their identities as demons. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 Playoff rematch Looking to exorcise the demons of last season’s Game 7 loss to the Montreal Canadiens? — Nicolas Villamil, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 July 2026 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demons
  1. ghosts
  2. terrors
  3. devils
  4. torments
  5. ghouls
  6. vampires
  7. spirits
  8. nightmares
Noun
  • Rooms Thanks to a semi-recent renovation in 2018, The Coonamessett’s 29 rooms and suites capture all the charm of Old Cape Cod with none of the ghosts.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
  • Trouble is, the place is haunted by racist ghosts (Stranger Things’ Brett Gelman and Ari Dayan) with dark motives of their own.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 24 July 2026
Definition of ghosts
Noun
  • The terrors of that horrible night, following one close on the other in reiterated shocks, had struck her down at last.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026
  • Which iconic horrors will return to haunt the hallowed halls of 13 and what new terrors await?
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2026
Definition of terrors
Noun
  • The 152 rooms celebrate Tasmania’s cultural and creative spirit, from the contemporary paintings of thylacines and Tasmanian devils, to the Blackheart sassafras ceiling inlays.
    — Riley Wilson, Travel + Leisure, 19 June 2026
  • But there are lots of potential devils in the details (otherwise there’d be little need for experimental reactors).
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
Definition of devils
Noun
  • So too did Trump spiritual advisor Paula White-Cain, who compared the president’s torments to those of Jesus.
    — Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
  • In the face of such grave concerns, Alyoshka’s torments seem self-indulgent and frustrating, but his problem—whether to leave or stay—is far from insignificant.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of torments
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
  • Created by a number of its stars, Ghosts originated on the BBC in 2019, following a group of ghouls from different historical periods haunting a country house while sharing the house with its new living occupants.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of ghouls
Noun
  • Over the course of 22 episodes, the Doomies crew encounters vampires, parasitic demons, vicious mermaids, and some spirits specific to French folklore, all rendered as real threats towards our heroes.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 July 2026
  • So far, this season has been a heady ritual of self-interrogation and self-deception for both vampires.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 July 2026
Definition of vampires
Noun
  • The spirits Gu-cheon interacts with throughout the series were invisible on set.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Fatty Arbuckle’s Pub, established in 2003, is home to over 200 different whiskeys and fine spirits.
    — USA TODAY NETWORK, USA Today, 29 July 2026
Definition of spirits
Noun
  • Standard wide-field-of-view AR-HUDs have historically been engineering nightmares.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 July 2026
  • Victims who were injured in the shooting described panic attacks, nightmares and the fear that still follows them into classrooms, neighborhoods and even their own bedrooms.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 27 July 2026
Definition of nightmares

Browse Nearby Words

demonic
demons
demonstrable
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Cite this Entry

“Demons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demons. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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