1
as in demonic
of, relating to, or worthy of an evil spirit
a fiendish delight in playing cruel tricks
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fiendish
Jim Carrey plays the eponymous Grinch, a fiendish Whoville outlaw who declares war on the festive season.
—
Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Nov. 2025
Next up is Pagli, a madwoman with a thin, charred body, fiendish laugh, and ghoulish shrieks.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Art of Fugue is a fiendish work of near-mythical status.
—Genevieve Marks, Air Mail, 25 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for fiendish
Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Nov. 2025
Next up is Pagli, a madwoman with a thin, charred body, fiendish laugh, and ghoulish shrieks.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Art of Fugue is a fiendish work of near-mythical status.
—Genevieve Marks, Air Mail, 25 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for fiendish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fiendish
Adjective
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Is Nikki possessed by an evil, demonic version of herself intent on punishing Bear for his mistake?—
Emma Stefansky,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
-
The first Conjuring film helped launch a billion-dollar franchise with a winning formula for modern-day horror, combining demonic spirits, jump scares, and a chilling based-on-a-true-story hook.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
Adjective
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Higher-level inmates gorge themselves; those below face starvation, suicide or cannibalism – a brutal metaphor for the world’s food chain.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
12 June 2026
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The president’s instinct to go for the jugular was on display in his first campaign, when he was written off early on as an entertainer but found success with brutal takedowns.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
Adjective
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Firth is chilling, pushing his stern, fiercely intelligent demeanor in increasingly sinister directions and bringing nuance and gravity to the lengths Scanlon will go to fulfill his mandate, whatever the cost.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
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The supernatural psychological horror, written and helmed by Aster, follows a family rocked by grief, who begins to experience sinister and inexplicable occurrences.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
Adjective
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The immigrant-detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz, deep in the Florida Everglades, stands out as a uniquely cruel publicity stunt with an absurdly high price tag, in which much of the money goes into just a few pockets.—
Eric Schlosser,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
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Therefore, a second execution would not violate the prohibition on double jeopardy or on the imposition of cruel punishment.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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Both courses had diabolical pin placements that turned into absolute nightmares.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 May 2026
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As a result, even with better production wrinkles, some exciting challenge tweaks, and some brilliantly diabolical moves by Jesse, the season itself felt a bit snoozy and lacking in huge, iconic moments (outside of the Cody blindside, of course).—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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The tabloids have been extra vicious of late regarding your family strife.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
12 June 2026
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Firefighters faced vicious winds and, at times, 30-foot flames.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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The malicious prosecution claim was dismissed after Levine’s attorneys failed to object to a motion for summary judgment to dismiss the final charge.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
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The Knicks also got their revenge on Wembanyama, who went unpenalized for a malicious, above-the-shoulders shove on Brunson in Game 3.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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What begins as a desperate family bonding trip rapidly devolves into savage violence and brutal psychological warfare.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
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Their twiggy legs and bony frames exposed in bathing suits, the kids do indeed look extra vulnerable within the film’s savage landscape.—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
25 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fiendish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fiendish. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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