Demonic

How to spell demonic

7 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce demonic

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does demonic mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to or characteristic of a demon; suggesting evil, cruelty, or wild ferocity.

Demonic in a sentence

• The horror film relied on a demonic presence stalking the family home.

• Critics described the villain's demonic laughter as the most chilling moment in the play.

Where does demonic come from?

Language of origin: Greek

This word traces back to the Greek daimon, which originally meant a divine power, guiding spirit, or lesser deity, not necessarily an evil one. Greek philosophers used it for a kind of inner spirit or attendant force that influenced a person's fate. Through Latin the word became daemon, and as Christianity spread, the sense darkened until a daemon came to mean an evil spirit or devil. English took the adjective form through the Latin daemonicus, and the spelling eventually simplified the older 'daemon' to the plain 'demon' we use today. That history explains why the word is built on demon plus the ordinary adjective ending -ic, and why a learner should resist sneaking in an extra letter or doubling.

How the word is built

• demon (from Greek daimon: spirit or divine power)
• -ic (adjective suffix)