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demon

noun
de·​mon | \ ˈdē-mən How to pronounce demon (audio) \
variants: or
plural demons

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
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Other Words from demon

demonian \ di-​ˈmō-​nē-​ən How to pronounce demonian (audio) \ adjective
demonization \ ˌdē-​mə-​nə-​ˈzā-​shən How to pronounce demonization (audio) \ noun
demonize \ ˈdē-​mə-​ˌnīz How to pronounce demonize (audio) \ transitive verb

Examples of demon in a Sentence

only in rare cases is the ancient rite of exorcism performed to cast out a troublesome demon a man who was finally able to conquer his demons and kick his drug habit

Recent Examples on the Web

 She and Buffy had each other’s back, weathering ups and downs — and demons — together. — Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, "The week in watching: Rhoda and TV besties, couples on the couch, and Sacha Baron Cohen, seriously," 1 Sep. 2019 As Billy and his team pursue the truth, old enemies and personal demons resurface, forcing him to confront his own mortality. — Christian Holub, EW.com, "Tribeca TV Festival lineup includes Friends 25th anniversary celebration," 12 Aug. 2019 Hungarians just had to do a little more public relations work than most, given prevailing theories that the Huns had been spawned by witches and demons mating on the shores of the Sea of Azov. — Jacob Mikanowski, Harper's magazine, "The Call of the Drums," 21 July 2019 Each chapter is narrated by an alternating sister, revealing layers of complex family history and demons. — Angela Haupt, The Seattle Times, "The 10 books to read in 2019 based on what you loved in 2018," 7 Jan. 2019 Both novels told stories of spiritual warfare in which angels and demons were literal characters struggling for the souls of ordinary Americans in a small town. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "I didn’t read Harry Potter when I was growing up. And I wasn’t alone.," 31 Aug. 2018 Golf fans generally see him as a fading legend battling injuries and demons, pursuing the final four majors that would equal Jack Nicklaus’ l8. — Marcus Hayes, Philly.com, "Tiger Woods still 'moves the needle' at the U.S. Open | Marcus Hayes," 12 June 2018 Berkowitz believed that Carr and his black Labrador dog, Harvey, were demons. — Cady Lang, Time, "The True Stories Behind the Serial Killers of Mindhunter Season 2," 22 Aug. 2019 Will Jill Ellis’ team finally cast off the demons, or will the old enemy continue its hex? — Jonathan Tannenwald, https://www.inquirer.com, "Women’s World Cup 2019: Top games to watch in the group stage," 6 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'demon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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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

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More Definitions for demon

demon

noun
How to pronounce demon (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of demon

: an evil spirit
informal : a person who has a lot of energy or enthusiasm
: something that causes a person to have a lot of trouble or unhappiness

See the full definition for demon in the English Language Learners Dictionary

demon

noun
de·​mon | \ ˈdē-mən How to pronounce demon (audio) \

Kids Definition of demon

1 : an evil spirit : devil
2 : a person of great energy or enthusiasm a speed demon

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More from Merriam-Webster on demon

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for demon

Spanish Central: Translation of demon

Nglish: Translation of demon for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of demon for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about demon

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