Dictionary

demonic en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /dɪˈmɒnɪk/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio
• dĭmŏ'nĭk (UK)

Etymology

From Latin daemonicus, from Ancient Greek δαιμονικός (daimonikós, “possessed by a demon, sent by a demon”), from δαίμων (daímōn), equivalent to demon + -ic. Doublet of daimonic.

Meanings

1. Pertaining to demons or evil spirits; demoniac.
   • Once he had grasped the controls, he unleashed a demonic laugh that made his hostages shudder.
   • Convinced that his uncle was a warlock, he rifled through his attic, looking for demonic artifacts.
2. Pertaining to daemons in ancient Greek thought; concerning supernatural ‘genius’.
   • Aristotle concedes that the nature of the dream is indeed daemonic [translating dämonischer], but not divine – which might well reveal a profound meaning, if one could hit on the right translation. 1999, Sigmund Freud, translated by Joyce Crick, The Interpretation of Dreams, section I:
3. (broadly) Extremely cruel or evil; abhorrent or repugnant; diabolical.
   • Texts show the star prime time host Tucker Carlson calling Mr. Trump a “demonic force,” […] 2023 April 1, Jonathan Weisman, quoting Tucker Carlson, “Trump and Fox News, Twin Titans of Politics, Hit With Back-to-Back Rebukes”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
   • Lifton goes on to argue that they can commit these demonic acts because they rationalize their behaviour. A whole array of rationalizations justified the murder of innocent men, women and children. 2009, Peter Fleming, Stelios C. Zyglidopoulos, Charting Corporate Corruption: Agency, Structure and Escalation, page 40:

Forms

Deriveds

nondemonic · antidemonic · counterdemonic · undemonic · demonically

Relateds

demoniacal · demoniac · demon

Synonyms

demoniac · black-hearted · foul · heinous · compassionless · malefic · disagreeable · devilish · harsh · ruthless · sadistic · malefic · base · abandoned · brutal · despicable · obscene · demonly · unpitying · fiendlike · vile · detrimental · ill-intentioned · malevolent · unbenign · nonhumane · gooey · repugnant · cruel · disgusting · diabolical · vicious · unholy · grody · devilish · ill-natured · merciless · nithing · rank · loathsome · grim · horrid · demonish · diabolic · infernal · unkind · munted · savage · no-good · nefarious · spiteful · vile · maleficent · satanic · bad apple · reprobate · depraved · evil-minded · malign · deleterious · strident · satanic · scathful · baneful · flagitious · niddering · iniquous · distasteful · bad seed · unpleasant · pitiless · abhorrent · demonly · bum · harmful · diabolical · immoral · truculent · gro · foul · injurious · revolting · demonish · malicious · diabolical · rancid · peccaminous · offensive · cacodaemoniacal · nasty · evil · pernicious · demonlike · wicked · sinister · flagitious · barbarous · niding · baleful · inhumane · nauseous · sordid · malignant · demonical · malicious · unmerciful · despiteful · demonlike · scabrous · repulsive · incorrigible · demonic · demoniacal · gross · wrong · demonic · arrant · sickly · satanical · grotty · fallen angelic · unpitiful · nidering · nasty · remorseless · iniquitous · bad · loathsome · bowelless · rotten · inhuman · obnoxious · knavish · abhorrant · incessive · sullen · inclement · fell · baleful · fulsome · sinful · reprehensible · diabolic · facinorous · naughty · unbenevolent · bad · demonic · ungodly · mean · heartless · daemonical · sadistic · demonic · dark · sickening · villainous · scurrilous

Translations (44)

bg демоничен (Pertaining to evil spirits) · it demoniaco (Pertaining to evil spirits) · ca demoníac (Pertaining to evil spirits) · fr démoniaque (Pertaining to evil spirits) · tl malademonyo (Pertaining to evil spirits) · pl diabelski (Pertaining to evil spirits) · nb demonisk (Pertaining to evil spirits) · io demonala (Pertaining to evil spirits) · ang dēofollīċ (Pertaining to evil spirits) · cy demonig (Pertaining to evil spirits) · ru дья́вольский (Pertaining to evil spirits) · oc demoniac (Pertaining to evil spirits) · sa नारक (Pertaining to evil spirits) · ru демони́ческий (Pertaining to evil spirits) · eo demona (Pertaining to evil spirits) · yi טײַוולאָניש (Extremely cruel, evil, or abhorrent) · sv djävulsk (Pertaining to evil spirits) · ga diabhlaí (Pertaining to evil spirits) · it demonico (Pertaining to evil spirits) · pl biesowski (Pertaining to evil spirits) · fi demoninen (Pertaining to evil spirits) · lv dēmonisks (Pertaining to evil spirits) · ro demoniac (Pertaining to evil spirits) · nl demonisch (Pertaining to evil spirits) · cy cythreulig (Pertaining to evil spirits) · pl demoniczny (Extremely cruel, evil, or abhorrent) · yi דעמאָניש (Extremely cruel, evil, or abhorrent) · es demoníaco (Pertaining to evil spirits) · de dämonisch (Pertaining to evil spirits) · sv demonisk (Pertaining to evil spirits) · fi pirullinen (Pertaining to evil spirits) · yi שדימדיק (Pertaining to evil spirits) · eo demona (Extremely cruel, evil, or abhorrent) · eo diabla (Extremely cruel, evil, or abhorrent) · hu démoni (Pertaining to evil spirits) · pt demoníaco (Pertaining to evil spirits) · yi דעמאָניש (Pertaining to evil spirits) · ia demoniac (Pertaining to evil spirits) · nn demonisk (Pertaining to evil spirits) · et deemonlik (Pertaining to evil spirits) · io demonatra (Extremely cruel, evil, or abhorrent) · pl diabelski (Extremely cruel, evil, or abhorrent) · pl demoniczny (Pertaining to evil spirits) · ro demonic (Pertaining to evil spirits)