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
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
The red Indian of the Western plains tied his prisoner to the stake, tortured him, and danced in fiendish glee while his victim writhed in the flames.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 21 Feb. 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
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
The red Indian of the Western plains tied his prisoner to the stake, tortured him, and danced in fiendish glee while his victim writhed in the flames.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 21 Feb. 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
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Lorraine is haunted by a demonic presence during labor and when the time comes, Judy is stillborn, but the baby miraculously returns to life after Lorraine holds her in her arms.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Those elements, particularly the demonic mirror, did not play a role in the actual Smurl case.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Even for those in the North who didn’t care a damn for the four million held in brutal bondage, or those who wanted a soft, conciliatory approach, the war began to take on new and moral meaning.—
Jack Sheehan
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
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The trailer also showcases several brutal fights, an over-flowing oil emergency at the patch, a car accident, and Cami paying witness to two men taking down a third individual with their guns drawn.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Normally, that would be a recipe for some edge-of-your-seat action, although Ben Hopkins’ script makes clear early on that the bomb is just a distraction, while an even more sinister plot is ticking within the blast radius.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
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However, when Jess senses something sinister and then mysteriously disappears, Frida must uncover the truth before meeting the same fate.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Because of the cruel math of throughput and utilization, over ten days, only three hundred people experienced Blur.—
Charlie Fink,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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Tamra was awful to Gretchen back then, culminating in the Naked Wasted Party, which was one of the cruelest things to ever happen on Housewives.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Once infected, the body demands even more energy to fend off infection, leading to a vicious cycle.—
Michal Ruprecht,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
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Masked country crooner Orville Peck will keep his face covered while playing Vega, the vicious fighter who uses metal claws as one of his weapons.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This thrilling prequel stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa and Alyla Browne as young Furiosa, who is abducted by the savage warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) — leader of the Biker Horde — and spends the next decade in captivity plotting her revenge and escape.—
Charlotte Walsh,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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There was a time when loving someone of the wrong gender could result in harassment, arrest or a savage beating.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Their challenge on Frankenstein was bringing to the big screen the horror-meister’s vision of egotistical scientist Victor Frankenstein and his monster as part of a diabolical experiment.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
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Some don’t think about it; others call it exhilarating or existential, even diabolical.—
Sumera Riaz,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Hunted by the ruthless crime boss that Don worked for and learned all the boss’s sinister secrets — Perlman plays him — Don has a reason to seek redemption.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
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Witness Alex Hales’ ruthless removal.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fiendish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fiendish. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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