diabolic

D2I1A1B3O1L1I1C3
/ˌdaɪəˈbɒlɪk/

adjective

Of, being, or pertaining to a devil or the Devil.

“diabolic magic square”

Similar
devilishmephistopheleandemonicfiendishsatanicunholycacodaemoniacaldaemonical
OriginMiddle English diabolik ← Middle French diabolique ← Late Latin diabolicu →
Less commonScrabble 13
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Meanings

adjectivediabolic (comparative more diabolic, superlative most diabolic)

comparative more diabolic · superlative most diabolic · alternative obsolete diabolick

  1. Of, being, or pertaining to a devil or the Devil.

    diabolic magic square

    1 more example

    "The Sovereign Council of Wisdom," or the Order of Palladium, founded in Paris, was a diabolic order claiming masonic origin.

    1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 259

    Synonyms: devilish, mephistophelean, demonic, fiendish, satanic, unholy, cacodaemoniacal, daemonical

  2. figurativelyHaving qualities traditionally attributed to devils.
    1. especiallyfigurativelyWicked; evil; cruel.

      a cunning and diabolic plot

      1 more example

      fires lit up a diabolic scene

      Synonyms: inhuman, maleficent, baleful, wicked, barbarous, bowelless, brutal, compassionless

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveOf, being, or pertaining to a devil or the Devil.

Similar
devilishmephistopheleandemonicfiendishsatanicunholycacodaemoniacaldaemonicaldemoniacdemoniacaldemonicdemonicaldemonishdemonlikedemonlydevilishdiabolicalfallen angelicfiendlike

adjectiveWicked; evil; cruel.

Similar
inhumanmaleficentbalefulwickedbarbarousbowellessbrutalcompassionlesscruelflagitiousdemonicdespitefuldiabolicalfellincessiveinclementinhumaninhumanemalicious

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveshowing the cunning or ingenuity or wickedness typical of a devil

Similar
devilishdiabolicalmephistophelianmephistopheleanevil

adjectiveextremely evil or cruel; expressive of cruelty or befitting hell

Similar
demonicdiabolicalfiendishhellishinfernalsatanicunholyevil
Also see
barbarousbowellessbrutalcacodaemoniacalcompassionlesscrueldaemonicaldemoniacdemoniacaldemonicdemonishdemonlikedemonlydevilishdiabolicalfallen angelicfellfiendishfiendlikehellishincessiveinclementinfernalinhumanmephistopheleanmercilessnastynonhumanepitilessremorselessrottenruthlesssadisticsatanicsatanicalsavagespitefultruculentunholyunmercifulunpitifulunpitying

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  2. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  3. Proto-Indo-European*dwís
  4. Ancient Greekδιά (diá)
  5. Ancient Greekδια- (dia-)
  6. Proto-Indo-European*gʷelH-
  7. Proto-Hellenic*gʷəlnō
  8. Ancient Greekβάλλω (bállō)
  9. Ancient Greekδιαβάλλω (diabállō)
  10. Ancient Greekδιάβολος (diábolos)
  11. Koine Greekδιαβολικός (diabolikós)
  12. Late Latindiabolicu
  13. Middle Frenchdiabolique
  14. Middle Englishdiabolik
  15. Englishdiabolic

From Middle English diabolik, from Middle French diabolique, from Late Latin diabolicus, from Ancient Greek διαβολικός (diabolikós, “devilish”), from διάβολος (diábolos, “devil”). First attested in 1350–1400.

More words from Middle English, Middle French, Late Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian зъл, жесток
  • зъл (zăl)extremely evil or cruel
  • жесток (žestok)extremely evil or cruel
  • дяволски (djavolski)showing wickedness typical of a devil
  • сатанински (sataninski)showing wickedness typical of a devil
Czech ďábelský
  • ďábelskýshowing wickedness typical of a devil
Esperanto diabla
  • diablashowing wickedness typical of a devil
Finnish paholaismainen, pirullinen
  • paholaismainenextremely evil or cruel
  • pirullinenextremely evil or cruel
  • paholaismainenshowing wickedness typical of a devil
  • pirullinenshowing wickedness typical of a devil
French diabolique, diabolique
  • diaboliqueextremely evil or cruel
  • diaboliqueshowing wickedness typical of a devil
German teuflisch, diabolisch
  • teuflischextremely evil or cruel
  • diabolischextremely evil or cruel
  • teuflischshowing wickedness typical of a devil
  • diabolischshowing wickedness typical of a devil
Latvian velnišķs, velnišķīgs
  • velnišķsshowing wickedness typical of a devil
  • velnišķīgsshowing wickedness typical of a devil
Portuguese diabólico, diabólico
  • diabólicoextremely evil or cruel
  • diabólicoshowing wickedness typical of a devil
Russian дья́вольский, дья́вольский
  • дья́вольский (dʹjávolʹskij)extremely evil or cruel
  • дья́вольский (dʹjávolʹskij)showing wickedness typical of a devil
Turkish şeytanca, şeytani
  • şeytancashowing wickedness typical of a devil
  • şeytanishowing wickedness typical of a devil
Ukrainian дия́вольський, дия́вольський
  • дия́вольський (dyjávolʹsʹkyj)extremely evil or cruel
  • дия́вольський (dyjávolʹsʹkyj)showing wickedness typical of a devil

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

biocidal
Cite this entry
APA

diabolic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diabolic

MLA

“diabolic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diabolic. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “diabolic,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diabolic.

Source: diabolic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.