demon

/ˈdimən/

/ˈdimən/

Other forms: demons

A demon is an evil, mythical monster or spirit. Stories about demons are featured in a variety of different religious traditions.

You might come across a demon in a supernatural fairy tale, or even in the Christian Bible. Demons are often interchangeable with devils, and both words are sometimes used to talk about a cruel, fiendish person. If you're extremely good at something, you also might be described as a demon: "She's a demon at bowling." The Greek root, daimon, doesn't have the same negative connotations — it means "spirit or deity."

Definitions of demon

1. noun

   an evil supernatural being
   synonyms: daemon, daimon, devil, fiend

   types:

   incubus

   a male demon believed to visit people while they sleep and to consort with sleeping women

   succuba, succubus

   a female demon believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping men

   dibbuk, dybbuk

   (Jewish folklore) a demon that enters the body of a living person and controls that body's behavior

   type of:

   evil spirit

   a spirit tending to cause harm
2. noun

   a cruel, wicked, and inhuman person
   synonyms: devil, fiend, monster, ogre

   types:

   demoniac

   someone who acts as if possessed by a demon

   type of:

   disagreeable person, unpleasant person

   a person who is not pleasant or agreeable
3. noun

   someone extremely diligent or skillful
   “he worked like a demon to finish the job on time”

   “she's a demon at math”

   type of:

   actor, doer, worker

   a person who acts and gets things done