adj C1 Advanced

fiendish

FEEN-dihsh

Fiendish (adj) means Extremely cruel or wicked, as if inspired by a demon. Example: “The kidnappers hatched a fiendish plot to avoid detection.”

adj

Extremely cruel or wicked, as if inspired by a demon.

"The kidnappers hatched a fiendish plot to avoid detection."

Very difficult or intricate, especially in a way that seems almost deliberately cruel.

"The exam included one fiendish question that stumped almost everyone."

How to use fiendish

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDevilishly evil, or (more casually) devilishly hard.

Common pairings

a fiendish plan a fiendish puzzle

more fiendish comparative, most fiendish superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

The kidnappers hatched a _____ plot to avoid detection.

From fiend plus -ish.

Cavendish

What does “fiendish” mean?

The word “fiendish” means extremely cruel or wicked, as if inspired by a demon. In plain terms, devilishly evil, or (more casually) devilishly hard.

How do you pronounce “fiendish”?

“Fiendish” is pronounced FEEN-dihsh (/ˈfiːndɪʃ/ in IPA).

How do you use “fiendish” in a sentence?

Here is “fiendish” used in a sentence: “The kidnappers hatched a fiendish plot to avoid detection.”

What part of speech is “fiendish”?

“Fiendish” is an adjective.

How many meanings does “fiendish” have?

“Fiendish” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: extremely cruel or wicked, as if inspired by a demon.

Vocabulary lists that include fiendish: