diabolical

D2I1A1B3O1L1I1C3A1L1
UK[ˌdaɪəˈbɒlɪkəɫ]US[ˌdaɪəˈbɑlɪkəɫ]

adjective

Of or concerning the devil: devilish, satanic.

“a diabolical plan”

Similar
daemonicaldemonicdiabolicbanefulmalevolentmaliciousbarbarousbowelless
Opposite
angelicdivineundemonicundevilishundiabolical
OriginProto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? ← English diabolic ← Middle English diabolik →
Less commonScrabble 15
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Meanings

adjectivediabolical (comparative more diabolical, superlative most diabolical)

comparative more diabolical · superlative most diabolical

  1. Of or concerning the devil: devilish, satanic.

    […] the many diabolical names assigned to boiling springs and to torrents that become dangerously swollen. In California the boiling springs called 'Devil's Tea-kettle' and 'Devil's Mush-pot' repeat the 'Devil's Punch-bowls' of Europe[…]

    2021 January 1, Moncure Daniel Conway, Demonology And Devil-Lore, Volume 1 by Moncure Daniel Conway: Popular Books by Moncure Daniel Conway : All times Bestseller Demanding Books, BEYOND BOOKS HUB, →ISBN

    Synonyms: daemonical, demonic, diabolic

  2. Extremely wicked or cruel.

    a diabolical plan

    Synonyms: baneful, malevolent, malicious, barbarous, bowelless, brutal, compassionless, cruel

  3. slang(Devilishly) cunning or devious.

    Synonyms: crafty, sly, tricksy, astute, artful, cautelous, crafty, cunning

  4. slangCrazy, wild (sometimes especially due to being unexpected or surprising).

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveOf or concerning the devil: devilish, satanic.

Similar
daemonicaldemonicdiabolic

adjectiveExtremely wicked or cruel.

Similar
banefulmalevolentmaliciousbarbarousbowellessbrutalcompassionlesscruelflagitiousdemonicdespitefuldiabolicfellincessiveinclementinhumaninhumanemaliciousmerciless

adjective(Devilishly) cunning or devious.

Similar
craftyslytricksyastuteartfulcautelouscraftycunningdeviousfoxlikefoxyfroodguilefulshrewdslimslysubtletricksytricky
Similar
cacodaemoniacaldemoniacdemoniacaldemonicaldemonishdemonlikedemonlydevilishfallen angelicfiendlikesatanicsatanical
Opposite
angelicdivineundemonicundevilishundiabolicalunsatanicnondemonicnondiabolicnonsatanic
Broader
evilunholy

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveshowing the cunning or ingenuity or wickedness typical of a devil

Similar
devilishdiabolicmephistophelianmephistopheleanevil

adjectiveextremely evil or cruel; expressive of cruelty or befitting hell

Similar
demonicdiabolicfiendishhellishinfernalsatanicunholyevil
Also see
abandonedartfulbadbarbarousbowellessbrutalcacodaemoniacalcompassionlesscruelcunningdaemonicaldemoniacdemoniacaldemonicdemonishdemonlikedemonlydevilishdiabolicevilfallen angelicfellfiendishfiendlikegrimhellishincessiveinclementinfernalinhumaniniquitousmephistopheleanmercilessnastynithingnonhumanepitilessremorselessrottenruthlesssadisticsatanicsatanicalsavagesinfulsinisterslimspitefulsubtlesullentruculentungodlyunholyunmercifulunpitifulunpityingwily

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
  16. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  17. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  18. Englishdiabolical

From diabolic + -al.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic شَيْطَانِيّ
  • شَيْطَانِيّ (šayṭāniyy)Of, or concerning the devil; satanic
Catalan diabòlic, diabòlic
  • diabòlicOf, or concerning the devil; satanic
  • diabòlicExtremely wicked or cruel
Finnish pirullinen, saatanallinen
  • pirullinenOf, or concerning the devil; satanic
  • saatanallinenOf, or concerning the devil; satanic
  • paholaismainenExtremely wicked or cruel
  • pirullinenExtremely wicked or cruel
Irish diabhlaí
  • diabhlaíOf, or concerning the devil; satanic
Italian diabolico, diabolico
  • diabolicoOf, or concerning the devil; satanic
  • diabolicoExtremely wicked or cruel
Japanese 悪魔的な, 残酷な
  • 悪魔的な (akuma teki na)Of, or concerning the devil; satanic
  • 残酷な (zankoku na)Extremely wicked or cruel
  • 邪悪な (jaaku na)Extremely wicked or cruel
  • 悪質な (akushitsu na)Extremely wicked or cruel
Latvian velnišķs, velnišķīgs
  • velnišķsOf, or concerning the devil; satanic
  • velnišķīgsOf, or concerning the devil; satanic
Russian дьявольский, зверский
  • дьявольский (dʹjavolʹskij)Of, or concerning the devil; satanic
  • зверский (zverskij)Extremely wicked or cruel
  • а́дский (ádskij)Extremely wicked or cruel
Spanish diabólico, diabólico
  • diabólicoOf, or concerning the devil; satanic
  • diabólicoExtremely wicked or cruel
Turkish şeytani
  • şeytaniOf, or concerning the devil; satanic
Cite this entry
APA

diabolical. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diabolical

MLA

“diabolical.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diabolical. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “diabolical,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/diabolical.

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