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demon

de·mon [ ˈdē-mən]

demon

noun

[ˈdē-mən]

variants: or daemon

Definition of demon

1a : an evil spirit
//angels and demons

b : a source or agent of evil, harm, distress, or ruin
//the demons of drug and alcohol addiction confronting the demons of his childhood

2 usually daemon : an attendant (see attendant entry 2 sense 1) power or spirit : genius

3 usually daemon, mythology : a supernatural being whose nature is intermediate between that of a god and that of a human being

4 : one that has exceptional enthusiasm, drive, or effectiveness
//a demon for work Doug, putting like a demon, had birdies on the third and sixth …— Fred Tupper

5 daemon : a software program or process that runs in the background A mailer daemon installed on an e-mail system can respond to a piece of incorrectly addressed e-mail by generating an automated message to the sender that the message was undeliverable.— J. D. Biersdorfer

Other Words from demon

demonian \ di-ˈmō-nē-ən \ adjective

Synonyms & Antonyms for dainty

Synonyms: Synonyms

Recent Examples on the Web

//The accuracy around the edges of such paintings was intended to convince contemporary viewers of the credibility of the central scenes, as if to underscore that dragons and demons actually existed.
— Steven Litt, cleveland.com, "‘Medieval Monsters’ exhibit at Cleveland Museum of Art surveys images used to inspire fear, hatred and wonder," 1 Sep. 2019
//Len Cariou played Sweeney Todd, demon barber of Fleet Street, when that Sondheim musical premiered on Broadway in 1980.
— Christopher Arnott, courant.com, "Broadway legend Len Cariou to blend Shakespeare and musical comedy in one-night show at Long Wharf," 3 July 2019
//Indeed, what could have been a predictable yawn of a true story about a gifted performer that couldn’t tame her own demons instead feels fresh and intimate.
— Mara Reinstein, Billboard, "A Star is Re-Born! Renee Zellweger Shines as Judy Garland in 'Judy' Biopic," 31 Aug. 2019
//The Witcher is set in The Continent, a world that is invaded by demons from a parallel dimension.
— Alexia Fernandez, PEOPLE.com, "Henry Cavill Goes Blonde! Actor Gets a New Look for Upcoming Netflix Series The Witcher," 1 July 2019
//The five-episode thriller centers on a group of privileged teenagers who visit a wide-open desert haunted by ancient demons that make strange and terrifying things happen.
— Fox News, "Netflix's first Arabic original sparks backlash on home turf," 19 June 2019
//It is also known as the festival of deities and demons.
— Washington Post, "AP Photos: Nepal festival season starts with goddess, dance," 14 Sep. 2019
//In three years, Cosmi has added 40 pounds and become an impenetrable demon manning the line’s most critical spot.
— Nick Moyle, ExpressNews.com, "Texas’ Tom Herman and Yancy McKnight back in familiar territory at Rice," 13 Sep. 2019
//Unsurprisingly given those numbers, those two are baseball’s resident speed demons among the ranks of pitchers: Scherzer is the first hurler to steal two or more bases in a season since Greinke stole three last year.
— Jon Tayler, SI.com, "The New World of Cost-Conscious Baseball Has No Room for Dave Dombrowski," 10 Sep. 2019

First Known Use of demon

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for demon

Middle English, "evil spirit," borrowed from Late Latin daemōn "evil spirit, pagan deity, idol," going back to Latin, "supernatural being, spirit intermediate between humans and gods," borrowed from Greek daimon-, daímōn "superhuman power, variably evil or beneficent, intervening in human affairs, fate" (Homeric), "personal spirit, bringing luck or ill, that accompanies an individual," "spirit intermediate between humans and gods" (Plato), "evil spirit" (New Testament), probably from dai-, stem of daísthetai "to divide, allocate" + -mōn, deverbal noun and adjective suffix — more at tide entry 1

Dictionary Entries near demon

Phrases Related to demon

like a demon

speed demon

the demon drink