Meanings
Great Satan1
alternative great Satan
- derogatoryThe United States of America, particularly with regard to its perceived imperialist foreign policy.
Ahmadinejad, facing serious political problems, can posture about standing up to the Great Satan.
2007, Alexander Cockburn, “Will they nuke Iran?”, in The Free Press1 more example
Or, have Muslims been alienated from the Congress because of the Prime Minister's warm embrace of the Great Satan?
2007, Swapan Dasgupta, “Muslims aren't the only voters”, in The Pioneer
great Satan2
- Alternative letter-case form of Great Satan.
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Iranian Persianشَیطانِ بُزُرْگ
- EnglishGreat Satan
Calque of Iranian Persian شَیطانِ بُزُرْگ (šeytân-e bozorg), which is more often the name of the largest of the three jamarat at which stones are thrown during the hajj. The derogatory sense was coined by Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979 to 1989 Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979, one day after the onset of the Iran hostage crisis.
More words from Iranian Persian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic اَلشَّيْطان اَلْأَكْبَر
- اَلشَّيْطان اَلْأَكْبَر (aš-šayṭān al-ʔakbar)pejorative: United States of America
Basque Satan Handi
- Satan Handipejorative: United States of America
Bengali বড় শয়তান
- বড় শয়তান (boṛ śoẏotan)pejorative: United States of America
Catalan Gran Satán
- Gran Satánpejorative: United States of America
Esperanto Usonaĉo
- Usonaĉopejorative: United States of America
French Grand Satan
- Grand Satanpejorative: United States of America
German Großer Satan
- Großer Satanpejorative: United States of America
Hindi बड़ा शैतान
- बड़ा शैतान (baṛā śaitān)pejorative: United States of America
Polish Wielki Szatan
- Wielki Szatanpejorative: United States of America
Portuguese Grande Satã
- Grande Satãpejorative: United States of America
Russian Великий Сатан
- Великий Сатанpejorative: United States of America
Spanish Gran Satán
- Gran Satánpejorative: United States of America
Turkish Büyük Şeytan
- Büyük Şeytanpejorative: United States of America
Urdu بَڑا شَیطان
- بَڑا شَیطان (baṛā śaitān)pejorative: United States of America
Cite this entry
Great Satan. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Great%20Satan
“Great Satan.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Great%20Satan. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Great Satan,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Great%20Satan.
Source: Great Satan on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.