variants
or diabolic
as in demonic
of, relating to, or worthy of an evil spirit
the police quickly mobilized to track down the diabolical criminals before they struck again
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of diabolical
The word — so often a diabolical four-letter dismissal — recasts precision as excess, ambition as ego, obsession as spectacle.
—
New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Or is there something more diabolical at play?
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 Apr. 2026
Unwrapped from goopy bandages covered in Hieratic script dating back centuries, Katie (played at 16 with diabolical weirdness by Natalie Grace) looks more dead than alive.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
So ChatGPT didn’t come up with a diabolical plan.
—Amanda Gefter, Quanta Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for diabolical
New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Or is there something more diabolical at play?
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 Apr. 2026
Unwrapped from goopy bandages covered in Hieratic script dating back centuries, Katie (played at 16 with diabolical weirdness by Natalie Grace) looks more dead than alive.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
So ChatGPT didn’t come up with a diabolical plan.
—Amanda Gefter, Quanta Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for diabolical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diabolical
Adjective
-
It was named for Lilith, a demonic figure of Jewish folklore who is said to have been Adam’s first wife (before Eve).—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
-
Aside from unpredictable fellow patients — some of whom are prone to violent outbursts — Pepper also has horrifying visions of a demonic beast.—
Eric Andersson,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Anais has no idea that this institute in the desert is run by a secret cult – where healing is not the objective – but a gateway to something far more sinister.—
Roberto Prieto,
Variety,
13 May 2026
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On their first album under the moniker, the two noisemakers from Animal Collective delight in this combination, foregrounding campfire acoustics while sinister drones lurk around the corner.—
Ethan Beck,
Pitchfork,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Celeste team argues that large, heavy drones pose a serious cybersecurity risk, as they could be hijacked and used for harm by malicious hackers.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
-
That’s not necessarily malicious.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Diabolical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diabolical. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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