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
My deep cynicism thinks this was a diabolical plan to herd young people toward expensive, and somewhat useless, college degrees.
—
Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
Weisz gives two of her best performances — aggressive and sinister here, meek and contemplative there — to craft a diabolical portrait of primal codependency.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
As Traitors host and executive producer, Cumming is diabolical, but there’s no sleep for the wicked.
—Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
These are just some of their diabolical tactics.
—Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for diabolical
Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
Weisz gives two of her best performances — aggressive and sinister here, meek and contemplative there — to craft a diabolical portrait of primal codependency.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
As Traitors host and executive producer, Cumming is diabolical, but there’s no sleep for the wicked.
—Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
These are just some of their diabolical tactics.
—Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for diabolical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diabolical
Adjective
-
Framed by a meta-narrative exploring the price of artistic creation, the film unfolds through multiple standalone stories linked by a demonic pact.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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There are bodily fluids, jeering crowds, and demonic Punch and Judy puppets applauding through the chaos, giving the scene the air of a demented fairy tale.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And are at this moment again pursuing their sinister ambitions.—
February 25,
NPR,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The story takes on an even more sinister air when Jennifer and Fernando reunite in Mexico.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Claude initially warned the unknown user of malicious intent during their conversation about the Mexican government, but eventually complied with the attacker’s requests and executed thousands of commands on government computer networks, the researchers said.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
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Here’s the Harvest Data The DNR said the charges for hunter harassment and malicious destruction of a blind were filed with the County Prosecutor’s office.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Diabolical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diabolical. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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