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Like the word devil, "diabolical" traces back to Latin diabolus, which itself descends from Greek diabolos, a word that literally means "slanderer." In English, "diabolical" has many nuances of meaning. It can describe the devil himself (as in "my diabolical visitor") or anything related to or characteristic of him in appearance, behavior, or thought; examples include "diabolical lore," "a diabolical grin," and "a diabolical plot." In British slang, "diabolical" can also mean "disgraceful" or "bad," as in "the food was diabolical."
Examples of diabolical in a Sentence
Jim Reineking, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
Their friendship went through many ups and downs, considering Trachtenberg's character, Georgina Sparks, was one of the series' most diabolical troublemakers.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2025
Veneno, ever the anti-hero and unreliable narrator, vacillates between her self-serving and diabolical impulses throughout the arc of her character.
—Samantha Riedel, Them., 28 Mar. 2025
But traffickers have responded with diabolical inventiveness.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Diabolical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diabolical. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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diabolical
adjective
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