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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Example Sentences
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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
-
The moral fulcrum of Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, in which a scholar gains knowledge and power through a demonic pact, is a relatively straightforward statement on the human condition.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The radical left says Western civilization is evil, Candace Owens says the roots of our faith are demonic.—
Grace Gilson,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Between wading or boating into choppy surf, baking in the hot sun, and getting doused in salty spray, the elements are brutal on the human body and the gear meant to withstand them.—
Francesca Krempa,
Outside,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Phạm Lockwood also spoke with Huan Nguyen, the sole survivor of a massacre of a South Vietnamese family in Saigon, a brutal attack allegedly orchestrated by Capt.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Even his smile is sinister in the English actor’s current reign of cinematic terror.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
14 Jan. 2026
-
This is not the gleeful dance party of purgatory—there is a more sinister and sincere quality to it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The forest had taught him that city dwellers could often be regulated by cruel and rather unpredictable codes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
-
That Maduro is a cruel dictator is clear; that Trump intends more than just his arrest (such as taking their oil) is equally clear.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
That, to me, was the simplest and the most diabolical part of the story.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
30 Dec. 2025
-
In this diabolical satirical thriller, a millennial woman resorts to extreme measures to secure the million-dollar house of her dreams.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
These vicious youths fell the infected almost for sport, which undersells the source of terror so essential to the series.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Jan. 2026
-
His charges there include interference with law enforcement, criminal desecration and having a vicious dog at large, according to a news release from KCK police.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
These computer viruses often spread through malicious ads embedded in popular websites or infected links in YouTube video descriptions, according to SpyCloud.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
15 Jan. 2026
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Jesse Jeremiah, 51, was arrested on suspicion of malicious destruction of railroad property, vandalism and unlawfully stealing and carrying away copper materials, jail records show.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This league is a savage league.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
22 Dec. 2025
-
The fifth-place finisher also reveals the inspiration for her savage jury question to Savannah.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fiendish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fiendish. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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