1
as in demonic
of, relating to, or worthy of an evil spirit
a fiendish delight in playing cruel tricks
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2
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
shook with fiendish laughter as he watched his victims writhe in agony
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Recent Examples of fiendish
But a new shingle (and URL) outside the Pentagon does not solve the fiendish challenges of running the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard and Space Force.
—
Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 11 Sep. 2025
The entirety of the conundrum that the Epstein files have presented to the Trump administration was created because Trump and his subordinates continuously dangled the carrot of releasing the Epstein files and of holding elites accountable for their fiendish behavior.
—Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 10 Aug. 2025
But that’s just the cherry on top of a perfectly cartoonish opening to the best film this fiendish horror franchise from the 2000s has ever known.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 May 2025
What to know about Blue Origin after celebrity spaceflight NASA's Perseverance rover captures 'fiendish' dueling dust devils on Mars: See video
What causes the Lyrid meteors?
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fiendish
Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 11 Sep. 2025
The entirety of the conundrum that the Epstein files have presented to the Trump administration was created because Trump and his subordinates continuously dangled the carrot of releasing the Epstein files and of holding elites accountable for their fiendish behavior.
—Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 10 Aug. 2025
But that’s just the cherry on top of a perfectly cartoonish opening to the best film this fiendish horror franchise from the 2000s has ever known.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 May 2025
What to know about Blue Origin after celebrity spaceflight NASA's Perseverance rover captures 'fiendish' dueling dust devils on Mars: See video
What causes the Lyrid meteors?
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fiendish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fiendish
Adjective
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When their biggest demonic enemy (Lee Byung-hun) encourages the formation of an equally popular K-pop boy band aimed at stealing the souls of their fans, the trio has to fight harder than ever to hold the demons at bay while keeping their friendship intact.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
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Ronnie is able to bite through the cord and separate herself, but her mother — now demonic and decaying — rushes toward her.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Recently, the vast majority have been coming from Sudan, embroiled in a brutal civil war which has displaced millions.—
Mick Krever,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Musically, Lee took on the air of a woman revealing intimate truths about herself one year at a time, shedding layers as a way of rewarding patience with honesty, no matter how brutal.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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But as old tensions flare between them, Katie begins to experience terrifying visions and a ghostly presence warning of something sinister lurking aboard.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
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Which casts a show seemingly designed to bypass all judgments with respect to storytelling and taste, gliding straight to the pleasure center of some imaginary horny, enraged, shopaholic feminine id, in a fairly sinister light.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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That is unacceptably cruel, corrupt, and undemocratic.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Instead, she was stripped of her bronze medal after a late score inquiry—a ruling that still feels cruel for an athlete who had delivered the performance of her life.—
Essence,
Essence,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The Ravens weren’t even doing anything diabolical at the line of scrimmage.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
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This fourth installment finds plenty to mine from Jigsaw and his diabolical traps — and yes, that silly tricycle-riding clown gets some screen time.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But his preposterously wide net, his endless minions, and his vicious style left us no choice but to scale back on the data center theme.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
10 Nov. 2025
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Tommy's new relationship with Mireya Garcia (Carmela Zumbado) has sparked a face-off with her brother and the leader of the vicious drug gang Insane Princes, Miguel (Manuel Eduardo Ramirez).—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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For many of Modi’s supporters, Mamdani’s rhetoric is seen as a malicious attack on the country’s majority religion.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The Edmund Fitzgerald was caught in a savage storm with hurricane-force winds around 100-mile-an-hour and waves up to 60 feet, crashing down on the freighter every four to eight seconds, says Bacon.—
NPR,
NPR,
6 Nov. 2025
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Here, spiritual infractions are met with savage physical punishment and some of the more grotesque images in recent horror memory (which, as the genre has become ever more popular and emboldened, is seriously saying something).—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fiendish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fiendish. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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