demonic
adjUK /dɪˈmɒnɪk/
Etymology From Latin daemonicus, from Ancient Greek δαιμονικός (daimonikós, “possessed by a demon, sent by a demon”), from δαίμων (daímōn), equivalent to demon + -ic. Doublet of daimonic.
1
Pertaining to demons or evil spirits; demoniac.
- Convinced that his uncle was a warlock, he rifled through his attic, looking for demonic artifacts.
- Once he had grasped the controls, he unleashed a demonic laugh that made his hostages shudder.
2
Pertaining to daemons in ancient Greek thought; concerning supernatural ‘genius’.
- Aristotle concedes that the nature of the dream is indeed daemonic [translating dämonischer], but not divine – which might well reveal a profound meaning, if one could hit on the right translation.1999, Sigmund Freud, translated by Joyce Crick, The Interpretation of Dreams, section I:
3
Broadly Extremely cruel or evil; abhorrent or repugnant; diabolical.
- Lifton goes on to argue that they can commit these demonic acts because they rationalize their behaviour. A whole array of rationalizations justified the murder of innocent men, women and children.2009, Peter Fleming, Stelios C. Zyglidopoulos, Charting Corporate Corruption: Agency, Structure and Escalation, page 40:
- Texts show the star prime time host Tucker Carlson calling Mr. Trump a “demonic force,” […]2023 April 1, Jonathan Weisman, quoting Tucker Carlson, “Trump and Fox News, Twin Titans of Politics, Hit With Back-to-Back Rebukes”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
- Derived terms
- antidemonic, counterdemonic, demonically, nondemonic, undemonic
- Related terms
- demon, demoniac, demoniacal