adj
diabolical
deye-uh-BO-lih-kuh
Diabolical (adj) means Extremely cruel or wicked; evil. Example: “The villain hatched a diabolical plan to destroy the city.”
adj
1
Extremely cruel or wicked; evil.
"The villain hatched a diabolical plan to destroy the city."
"It was a diabolical act of betrayal that no one saw coming."
2
(informal) Very bad or dreadful.
"The weather on our camping trip was absolutely diabolical."
How to use diabolical
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDevilishly evil, or — used more loosely — extremely bad.
When to use it
In British English, "diabolical" is often used casually to mean "terrible," well beyond anything actually evil.
Common pairings
diabolical plan
diabolical weather
diabolical scheme
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more diabolical
- Superlative
- most diabolical
Fill the gap
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The villain hatched a _____ plan to destroy the city.
Etymology
From diabolic + -al, ultimately from Greek diabolos ("slanderer, devil").
Synonyms
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cacodaemoniacal
daemonical
demoniac
demoniacal
demonic
demonical
demonish
demonlike
demonly
devilish
diabolic
fallen angelic
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for diabolical
See all rhymes for diabolical →Frequently asked questions
What does “diabolical” mean?
The word “diabolical” means extremely cruel or wicked; evil. In plain terms, devilishly evil, or — used more loosely — extremely bad.
How do you pronounce “diabolical”?
“Diabolical” is pronounced deye-uh-BO-lih-kuh ([ˌdaɪəˈbɑlɪkəɫ] in IPA).
How do you use “diabolical” in a sentence?
Here is “diabolical” used in a sentence: “The villain hatched a diabolical plan to destroy the city.”
What is another word for “diabolical”?
Words with a similar meaning to “diabolical” include cacodaemoniacal, daemonical, demoniac, demoniacal, demonic and demonical.
What is the opposite of “diabolical”?
The opposite of “diabolical” — its antonyms — are angelic, divine, undemonic, undevilish and undiabolical.
What part of speech is “diabolical”?
“Diabolical” is an adjective.
Where does the word “diabolical” come from?
The word “diabolical” comes from Greek. From diabolic + -al, ultimately from Greek diabolos ("slanderer, devil").
How many meanings does “diabolical” have?
“Diabolical” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: extremely cruel or wicked; evil.
