Meaning & use
demoniacal
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Like or relating to a demon; evil and wicked.
Grammar: Before a noun or after a linking verb: a demoniacal grin; his laugh was demoniacal.
Patterns
- a demoniacal grin
- demoniacal laughter
The villain's demoniacal grin chilled the audience.
A demoniacal laugh echoed through the empty castle.
The painter gave the figure a demoniacal expression.
adjectivecomparablefigurative
Wildly energetic or frantic, as if driven by an evil force.
Grammar: Figurative sense describing frenzied action.
Patterns
- with demoniacal energy
- in a demoniacal frenzy
He worked with demoniacal energy to finish the manuscript.
The crowd cheered in a demoniacal frenzy.
She attacked the keyboard with demoniacal speed.
adjectivebefore a nounarchaicreligion
Believed to be possessed by a demon, in older religious or folk language.
Grammar: Archaic religious use before a noun.
Patterns
- a demoniacal possession
The old text describes a demoniacal man living among the tombs.
Villagers feared the demoniacal girl and called a priest.
The play shows a demoniacal possession scene.
Word forms
| comparative | more demoniacal |
|---|---|
| superlative | most demoniacal |
Common combinations
- demoniacal laughter
- Demoniacal laughter rang from the cellar.
- demoniacal energy
- He pursued the project with demoniacal energy.
- demoniacal grin
- The mask had a demoniacal grin.
- demoniacal rage
- He was seized by a demoniacal rage.
Synonyms and how they differ
- demonic
- Demonic is the modern, common form of the same adjective and sounds less old-fashioned.
- fiendish
- Fiendish suggests cruel cleverness and can be used lightly, as in a fiendish puzzle.
- diabolical
- Diabolical is common in speech and can be exaggerated, as in a diabolical plan or terrible weather.
- satanic
- Satanic ties directly to Satan and is more strongly religious.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: demoniacal or demonic? demoniacal or demonstrable?
demoniacal vs demonic
Demonic is the usual modern form; demoniacal is the same meaning but rarer and more literary.
demoniacal vs demonstrable
Demonstrable means able to be shown or proven and has no relation to demons.
Practice
The villain let out a ____ laugh that echoed through the old castle.
Choose one answer.
Demoniacal means evil like a demon, which suits an eerie laugh. Demonstrable and demure are look-alike words with unrelated meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “demoniacal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.