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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For centuries, a peace treaty between humans and the Black World — which houses all manner of witches, demons, and ghouls — has been in place to ensure separation between the two factions.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
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Participants are encouraged to come dressed as ghosts, ghouls, vampires, witches or pop culture characters.—
Marcus Smith,
Sacbee.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
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
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Its depictions of dancing devils and witches’ sabbaths are supposed to scare viewers straight, but writer-director Benjamin Christensen is also sympathetic towards the plight of medieval women persecuted for witchcraft.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
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The anime series follows a young man who can demolish fellow devils via a pullstring in his chest that transforms parts of his body into chainsaws.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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On the previous episode, the stars danced spooky routines as ghosts, zombies, vampires and more for Halloween Night.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
4 Nov. 2025
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Her take on a classic vampire included a red corset with black lace detailing and sleeves, along with a velvet skirt.—
Hedy Phillips,
PEOPLE,
3 Nov. 2025
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 9 Jan. 2026.
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