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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Latin daemoniacus +‎ -al.[1]

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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demoniacal (comparative more demoniacal, superlative most demoniacal)

  1. Pertaining to, characteristic of, or produced by a demon or evil spirit; devilish, demonic, fiendish.
    sarcastic, demoniacal laughter
    • 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, “In which Miss Sharp and Miss Sedley Prepare to Open the Campaign”, in Vanity Fair [], London: Bradbury and Evans [], published 1848, →OCLC, page 13:
      Rebecca laughed in her face, with a horrid sarcastic demoniacal laughter, that almost sent the schoolmistress into fits.
    • 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, “The Head of the Ethiopian”, in She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC, page 59:
      'What do you think of that, Job?' I asked of our retainer, who was sitting on the edge of the boat, trying to get as much sunshine as possible, and generally looking uncommonly wretched, and I pointed to the fiery and demoniacal head.
    • 1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 72:
      The spectator feels almost persuaded that he is witnessing some unearthly demoniacal orgie.

Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ demoniacal, adj. & n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required [1], Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000, archived from the original on 2023-10-09.

Anagrams

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