diabolic

See also: diabòlic

English

Alternative forms

• diabolick (obsolete)

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌdaɪəˈbɒlɪk/

Adjective

diabolic (comparative more diabolic, superlative most diabolic)

1. Showing wickedness typical of a devil.

   diabolic magic square

   a cunning and diabolic plot

2. Extremely evil or cruel.

   fires lit up a diabolic scene

Synonyms

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

Related terms

• diabolical
• diabolically
• diabolicalness

Translations

showing wickedness typical of a devil

• Bulgarian: дяволски (bg) (djavolski), сатанински (bg) (sataninski)
• Czech: ďábelský
• Esperanto: diabla
• Finnish: paholaismainen, pirullinen (fi)
• French: diabolique (fr)

• German: teuflisch (de), diabolisch (de)
• Latvian: velnišķs, velnišķīgs
• Portuguese: diabólico (pt)
• Russian: дья́вольский (ru) (dʹjávolʹskij)

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)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Italian: ^{(please verify)} diabolico (it)
• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} diabólico

• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} పాశవికమైన (pāśavikamaina), ^{(please verify)} పాశవిక (pāśavika)

Anagrams

• biocidal