di·a·bol·ic

[dahy-uh-bol-ik]
adjective
1.
having the qualities of a devil; devilish; fiendish; outrageously wicked: a diabolic plot.
2.
pertaining to or actuated by a devil.
Also, di·a·bol·i·cal.


Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English diabolik (< Middle French) < Late Latin diabolicus < Greek diabolikós, equivalent to diábol(os) devil + -ikos -ic

di·a·bol·i·cal·ly, adverb
di·a·bol·i·cal·ness, noun
hy·per·di·a·bol·i·cal, adjective
hy·per·di·a·bol·i·cal·ly, adverb
hy·per·di·a·bol·i·cal·ness, noun
non·di·a·bol·ic, adjective
non·di·a·bol·i·cal, adjective
non·di·a·bol·i·cal·ly, adverb
non·di·a·bol·i·cal·ness, noun
su·per·di·a·bol·i·cal, adjective
su·per·di·a·bol·i·cal·ly, adverb
su·per·di·a·bol·i·cal·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To diabolic
00:10
Diabolic is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
Collins
World English Dictionary
diabolic (ˌdaɪəˈbɒlɪk) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj
1.  of, relating to, or proceeding from the devil; satanic
2.  befitting a devil; extremely cruel or wicked; fiendish
3.  very difficult or unpleasant
 
[C14: from Late Latin diabolicus, from Greek diabolikos, from diabolosdevil]
 
dia'bolically
 
adv
 
dia'bolicalness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

diabolic
late 14c., from O.Fr. diabolique (13c.), from L.L. diabolicus, from Gk. diabolikos "devilish," from diabolos (see devil).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
It is sort of diabolic that the greener you want to be, the more processing there has to be of the necessary rare earths.
At the end of the book, meaning is about to be restored, by a gang of precocious and diabolic schoolboys.
Digitization will amplify our better nature but also its diabolic opposite.
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