diabolical

adjective

ˌdī-ə-ˈbä-li-kəl How to pronounce diabolical (audio)
variants or diabolic
Definition of diabolicalnext
as in demonic
of, relating to, or worthy of an evil spirit the police quickly mobilized to track down the diabolical criminals before they struck again

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of diabolical Super-secret spec-ops military squads facing off against the next diabolical terrorist threat. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Pinnock, in particular, is at his best here, showcasing a diabolical cruelty and terrifying manipulation, elevating the story and the show to a different level. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 31 July 2026 At Saul's request, the witch summons what appears to be the spirit of the deceased prophet Samuel, who foretells Saul's death in battle — raising the question of theodicy, or why an all-powerful God would allow an apparently diabolical act to occur. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026 When Ahab first speaks to the crew about Moby Dick, his diabolical charisma soon infects the men who, apart from Starbuck, enthusiastically join him in his monomaniacal crusade. — Literary Hub, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for diabolical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diabolical
  1. demonic
  2. sinister
  3. malicious
Adjective
  • But cultural myths and urban legends have also stereotyped them into Halloween mascots, demonic beings and carriers of diseases.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Wolf succumbs to Shura, a demonic force in the game’s mythology that possesses those who give in to bloodlust.
    — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of demonic
Adjective
  • Julia, on the other hand, is forced to return to Castle Leathers and face her sinister husband, Lord Lovat (Tony Curran), who still believes that Julia’s child is his own.
    — Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The longtime Adult Swim mischief-maker behind the viral hits ‘Too Many Cooks’ and ‘Yule Log’ specializes in hijacking familiar media formats, revealing the sinister anxieties beneath them.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of sinister
Adjective
  • That leaves a short window during which malicious activity can contaminate the prediction machinery again.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
  • An attacker can then register the site and plant malicious instructions on it.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of malicious

Browse Nearby Words

diableries
diabolical
diabolically
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Cite this Entry

“Diabolical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diabolical. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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