diabolic

See also: diabòlic

English

Alternative forms

• diabolick (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English diabolik, from Middle French diabolique, from Late Latin diabolicus, from Ancient Greek διαβολικός (diabolikós, “devilish”), from διάβολος (diábolos, “devil”). First attested in 1350–1400.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌdaɪəˈbɒlɪk/

• Audio (Southern England):

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Adjective

diabolic (comparative more diabolic, superlative most diabolic)

1. Of, being, or pertaining to a devil or the Devil.

   diabolic magic square

   • 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 259:

     "The Sovereign Council of Wisdom," or the Order of Palladium, founded in Paris, was a diabolic order claiming masonic origin.

2. (figuratively) Having qualities traditionally attributed to devils.
   1. (especially) Wicked; evil; cruel.

      a cunning and diabolic plot

      fires lit up a diabolic scene

Synonyms

• devilish, mephistophelian, mephistophelean
• demonic, fiendish, hellish, infernal, satanic, unholy

Derived terms

• diabolical
• nondiabolic

Translations

showing wickedness typical of a devil

• Bulgarian: дяволски (bg) (djavolski), сатанински (bg) (sataninski)
• Czech: ďábelský (cs)
• Esperanto: diabla
• Finnish: paholaismainen, pirullinen (fi)
• French: diabolique (fr)
• German: teuflisch (de), diabolisch (de)
• Latvian: velnišķs, velnišķīgs
• Portuguese: diabólico (pt)
• Russian: дья́вольский (ru) (dʹjávolʹskij)
• Turkish: şeytanca (tr), şeytani (tr)
• Ukrainian: дия́вольський (dyjávolʹsʹkyj)

extremely evil or cruel

• Bulgarian: зъл (bg) (zǎl), жесток (bg) (žestok)
• Finnish: paholaismainen, pirullinen (fi)
• French: diabolique (fr)
• German: teuflisch (de), diabolisch (de)
• Portuguese: diabólico (pt)
• Russian: дья́вольский (ru) (dʹjávolʹskij)
• Ukrainian: дия́вольський (dyjávolʹsʹkyj)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Italian: ^{(please verify)} diabolico (it)
• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} diabólico (es)
• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} పాశవికమైన (pāśavikamaina), ^{(please verify)} పాశవిక (pāśavika)

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “diabolic”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

• biocidal

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French diabolique, from Latin diabolicus.

Adjective

diabolic m or n (feminine singular diabolică, masculine plural diabolici, feminine/neuter plural diabolice)

1. diabolical

Declension

Declension of diabolic

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	diabolic		diabolică		diabolici	diabolice
	definite	diabolicul		diabolica		diabolicii	diabolicele
genitive- dative	indefinite	diabolic		diabolice		diabolici	diabolice
	definite	diabolicului		diabolicei		diabolicilor	diabolicelor