demon

¹

[dee-muhn]

noun

1. an evil spirit; devil or fiend.

2. an evil passion or influence.

3. a person considered extremely wicked, evil, or cruel.

4. a person with great energy, drive, etc..

   He's a demon for work.

5. a person, especially a child, who is very mischievous.

   His younger son is a real little demon.

6. daemon.

7. Australian Slang.,  a policeman, especially a detective.

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or noting a demon.

2. possessed or controlled by a demon.

demon-

²

1. variant of demono- before a vowel.

   demonism.

demon

/ ˈdiːmən /

noun

1. an evil spirit or devil

2. a person, habit, obsession, etc, thought of as evil, cruel, or persistently tormenting

3. Also called: daemon.  daimon. an attendant or ministering spirit; genius

   the demon of inspiration

4. 1. a person who is extremely skilful in, energetic at, or devoted to a given activity, esp a sport

      a demon at cycling

   2. ( as modifier )

      a demon cyclist

5. a variant spelling of daemon

6. informal,  a detective or policeman

7. computing a part of a computer program, such as a help facility, that can run in the background behind the current task or application, and which will only begin to work when certain conditions are met or when it is specifically invoked

Word History and Origins

Origin of demon¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin daemonium < Greek daimónion, thing of divine nature (in Jewish and Christian writers, evil spirit), neuter of daimónios, derivative of daímōn; demon ( def. 6 ) < Latin; daemon

Word History and Origins

Origin of demon¹

C15: from Latin daemōn evil spirit, spirit, from Greek daimōn spirit, deity, fate; see _daemon

Example Sentences

Against a Denmark team that is ranked 26 places above them in the rankings, Scotland worked like demons and deserved their point.

From BBC

Her connection with Hechinger is palpable, heady and heated, despite their characters’ differences, and it’s nice to see Hechinger in a more adult, romantic role, even as Skinner falls prey to his own demons.

From Los Angeles Times

Maybe the greatest dangers to humanity aren’t demons falling from the heavens but men styling themselves as gods, in whom we’re supposed to place our trust.

From Salon

In “KPop Demon Hunters,” however, these demons are not waiting passively for humans to die but are rather preemptively harvesting souls through their addictive tunes and undeniable physical magnetism.

From Salon

“KPop Demon Hunters” focuses on a popular girl group called Huntr/x that uses its music and dance moves to battle evil, including a demon boy band.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fiend 
• malignant spirit www.thesaurus.com
• monster 
• vampire 
• villain 

When To Use

What does demon- mean?

Demon- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “demon.” It is used in a few technical terms, especially in theology.Demon- comes from the Greek daimónion, meaning “thing of divine nature” and ultimate source of the English word demon. Among Jewish and Christian writers, daimónion was used to mean “evil spirit.”Demon- is a variant of demono-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.Want to know more? Read our Words That Use demono- article.