diabolical

(dī'ə-bŏl'ĭ-kəl) also di·a·bol·ic (-ĭk)
adj.

1. Of, concerning, or characteristic of the devil; satanic.
2. Appropriate to a devil, especially in degree of wickedness or cruelty.

[From Middle English deabolik, from Old French diabolique, from Late Latin diabolicus, from Latin diabolus, devil. See devil.]

diabolically di'a·bol'i·cal·ly adv.
diabolicalness di'a·bol'i·cal·ness n.

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Diabolic is used primarily with direct reference to the devil (as in Byron's Satan...merely bent his diabolic brow an instant, 1822), whereas diabolical is used overwhelmingly in its extended meanings 'bad, disgraceful, awful', describing such things as the weather, road traffic, the performance of a football team, communications, and 'liberties':

Asked our postman about communications between Tunisia and England. He said they were 'diabolical'—S. Townsend, 1982

Then, all of sudden, the gendarmes burst in and nabbed the first two blokes they saw who looked like English toffs, which was a diabolical liberty—Daily Telegraph, 2004.

However, diabolical is sometimes used in the original 'devilish' sense, especially when the rhythm of the sentence is improved by it

(demonology, the study of devilish phenomena in general and the crime of diabolical witchcraft in particular—Canadian Journal of History, 2001).

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adjective

Perversely bad, cruel, or wicked: devilish, diabolic, fiendish, ghoulish, hellish, infernal, ogreish, satanic, satanical. See kind/cruel.

IN BRIEF: Having characteristics like the devil.

The wind seemed diabolical as it blew the trees close to the electric lines.

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a term suggested to categorize enzymes that appear to serve a complex or multiple metabolic function. See also amphibolic.

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For a list of words related to diabolical, see:

• Bad, False, Evil, Insincere, or Dishonest
• Agitation, Abnormality, and Instability - diabolical: (adj) perverse, as though possessed by devil

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See words rhyming with "diabolical."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Diabolic.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - djævelsk, diabolsk, djævleblændt

Nederlands (Dutch)
verschrikkelijk, schandalig slecht, duivels, uitgekookt, irritant

Français (French)
adj. - diabolique, infernal, satanique, atroce, épouvantable

Deutsch (German)
adj. - teuflisch, diabolisch

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - διαβολικός, σατανικός
int. - διαβολικό, σατανικό

Italiano (Italian)
diabolico

Português (Portuguese)
adj., -
int. - diabólico

Русский (Russian)
дьявольский

Español (Spanish)
adj. - diabólico

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - förfärlig, avskyvärd
int. - jäkla

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
恶魔的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 惡魔的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 마귀의, 잔인 무도한, 악마 같은

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 悪魔の, 悪魔的な

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) شيطاني, شرير جدا (نداء) رهيب‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮שטני, מחפיר, גרוע‬

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