1
as in demonic
of, relating to, or worthy of an evil spirit
a fiendish delight in playing cruel tricks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fiendish
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
Jumbo brings a humanizing clarity to Lady Macbeth without in the least compromising her character’s fiendish side.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
There's a little bit for every guy, girl and ghoul, no matter what your fiendish tastes.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fiendish
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
Jumbo brings a humanizing clarity to Lady Macbeth without in the least compromising her character’s fiendish side.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
There's a little bit for every guy, girl and ghoul, no matter what your fiendish tastes.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fiendish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fiendish
Adjective
-
But ahead of Halloween weekend, Hatch had a small but incredibly loud contingent of Christians on TikTok posting videos of themselves throwing away their Hatch devices — and accusing the company of being demonic.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
29 Oct. 2025
-
But by the end of the episode, they’re trapped in a dark theater with the same demonic infant, who kills off all but Ronnie and Lilly.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Here's everything to know about the late female killer and her brutal crimes.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The grisly events in El Fasher come over two and a half years into a brutal civil war that has claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Their double life soon gets complicated when a rival boy band harboring a sinister secret begins stealing their fans.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Candyman, the Candyman franchise (1992–1999; 2021) Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) finds out that adoration and horror don't mix when she is faced with the attachment of the sinister Candyman (Tony Todd) in the 1992 film classic.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In Pahani’s 2006 award-winning comedy Offside, about the cruel cultural chains binding Iranian women, a group of young women attempt to gain entry to a stadium to watch a World Cup qualifying match between Iran and Japan.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
-
There is no reason to be cruel to people.—
Sigal Ratner-Arias,
Billboard,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This creates a vicious cycle where shame is a currency, and the only person who actually pays a price is the one who is mocked.—
Eli Thompson,
Rolling Stone,
25 Oct. 2025
-
After their parents got the police involved, the case remained unsolved for months until the FBI uncovered the shocking truth of who was behind the vicious messages after all.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The warm, relatable territory where the first season ends up doesn’t fully square with the savage satire promised by the pilot.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Oct. 2025
-
August Strindberg’s savage chamber drama gets transported to Ireland in Liv Ullmann’s sharp, surprisingly suspenseful adaptation.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
His idea was equal parts earnest and diabolical.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The protagonist’s diabolical plot is fuelled by an unmanageable tangle of emotions, including raging jealousy, mercenary self-interest, and resentment of Eileen’s professional and intellectual accomplishments, which sparks shame at her own cosseted frivolity.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Those hoping to snatch a home in this busy period faced limited options on the market, as the country’s developers had chronically underbuilt compared to demand in the years following the subprime mortgage crisis, leading to ruthless bidding wars and climbing home values.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Hedda orchestrates a ruthless game of manipulation, where lust, jealousy and betrayal collide.—
Patrick Hipes,
Deadline,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fiendish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fiendish. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share