demoniac

1 of 2

adjective

de·​mo·​ni·​ac di-ˈmō-nē-ˌak How to pronounce demoniac (audio)
variants or less commonly demoniacal
ˌdē-mə-ˈnī-ə-kəl How to pronounce demoniac (audio)
Synonyms of demoniacnext
1
: possessed or influenced by a demon
2
: demonic
demoniac rage
demoniacally
ˌdē-mə-ˈnī-ə-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce demoniac (audio)
adverb

demoniac

2 of 2

noun

: one possessed by a demon

Synonyms

Adjective

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of demoniac in a Sentence

Adjective the murderer seemed possessed by a demoniac wish to destroy life

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English demonyak, borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French demoniac, borrowed from Late Latin daemoniacus, borrowed from Greek daimoniakós, from daimónion "evil spirit" (Septuagint, New Testament), "divine power, lesser divine being" (noun derivative from neuter of daimónios, adjective derivative of daímōn "superhuman power, spirit intermediate between gods and humans") + -akos -ac — more at demon

Noun

Middle English demonyak, borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French demoniac, borrowed from Late Latin daemoniacus, noun derivative of daemoniacus demoniac entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of demoniac was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near demoniac

demonetize

demoniac

demonic

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Demoniac.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demoniac. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

demoniac

1 of 2 adjective
de·​mo·​ni·​ac di-ˈmō-nē-ˌak How to pronounce demoniac (audio)
variants also demoniacal
ˌdē-mə-ˈnī-ə-kəl How to pronounce demoniac (audio)
1
: possessed or influenced by a demon
2
: of, relating to, or suggestive of a demon : devilish, fiendish
demoniac cruelty
demoniacally
ˌdē-mə-ˈnī-ə-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce demoniac (audio)
adverb

demoniac

2 of 2 noun
: one possessed by a demon
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