variants
or daemons
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
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Recent Examples of demons
Sometimes, those personal demons will be the death of you.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
Still overcome with his own grief, Creasy must tuck his own demons away in an effort to care for a teenage girl whose life has suddenly been thrown into chaos.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Fitzgerald died young at age 44 in 1940, a victim of his alcoholism and life’s other demons that haunted him in his lifetime, such as his wife Zelda being institutionalized from 1930 until her death at age 47 in 1948.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Gregg had those demons inside his amazingly creative brain.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
Balor excised his own demons, while Mysterio is still haunted.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Her stunning 2025 debut, Waiting Room, interrogated horror and discomfort through probing and foreboding synthesizer drones and crackling bass; on Carve, she’s not done with her demons yet.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2026
But at this event, there was no Bobby, and there was no talk of lifelong demons.
—Jill Smolowe, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Julius Randle slayed a lot of his previous playoff demons last season and will be healthy and rested, as will Jaden McDaniels after missing six games with a bone bruise in his left knee.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
Still overcome with his own grief, Creasy must tuck his own demons away in an effort to care for a teenage girl whose life has suddenly been thrown into chaos.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Fitzgerald died young at age 44 in 1940, a victim of his alcoholism and life’s other demons that haunted him in his lifetime, such as his wife Zelda being institutionalized from 1930 until her death at age 47 in 1948.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Gregg had those demons inside his amazingly creative brain.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
Balor excised his own demons, while Mysterio is still haunted.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Her stunning 2025 debut, Waiting Room, interrogated horror and discomfort through probing and foreboding synthesizer drones and crackling bass; on Carve, she’s not done with her demons yet.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2026
But at this event, there was no Bobby, and there was no talk of lifelong demons.
—Jill Smolowe, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Julius Randle slayed a lot of his previous playoff demons last season and will be healthy and rested, as will Jaden McDaniels after missing six games with a bone bruise in his left knee.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demons
Noun
-
As lawmakers consider helping the Chicago Bears build a new stadium, the ghosts of past stadium deals still haunt the present.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
-
This includes some that pass through each other like ghosts, some that interact with each other, exchanging energy, and others that decay into smaller particles, releasing a tiny bit of energy in the process.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The point is, instead, to revel in the contrast between the terrors and the impressively unfazed people who navigate them.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In 1602, she was afflicted by a slew of symptoms, such as convulsions, fits, and terrors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Other propaganda compared Native people to buffalo, cats, dogs, and devils.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
-
There are sounds and shadows in the forest; the Devil, or devils, may be walking the earth.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026
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
Noun
-
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
-
Now working as a stocker, Ash accidentally unleashes undead ghouls after reading from the Necronomicon, forcing him to take up his chainsaw yet again to save humanity from the Deadites.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Pajak’s Sam must drive home the lesson that the real vampires are those creatures who try to steal your true soul — your individuality.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
By the final showdown, the production has made use of every bit of stage space, with sensational flying sequences (choreographed by Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant) that allow the vampires to float, hover, and—in one especially intense moment—dive from that bridge.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That put an end to the zero-tariff trade environment for exporters on both sides of the Atlantic and slapped new duties onto Scotch whisky and other spirits sent to America from Britain.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
1 May 2026
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The bar program, while still in development, is set to involve agave spirits and Mexican wines, with many sourced from the Valle de Guadalupe.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
The spooky environs created by production designer Til Frohlich are the stuff nightmares are made of; the murky bathtub, moldering linens and secret compartments that go bump in the night.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
2 May 2026
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When the show picks up, Lorcan is experiencing a strange series of nightmares centered around a terrifying rabbit-faced man, a creature pulled from Celtic mythology known as a Pooka.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demons. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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