fiend

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

fiend, n. [OE. fend, find, fiend, feond, fiend, foe, AS. feónd; akin to OS. fīond, D. vijand enemy, OHG. fīant, G. feind, Icel. fjānd, Sw. & Dan. fiende, Goth. fijands; orig. p. pr. of a verb meaning to hate, AS. feón, feógan, OHG. fīn, Goth. fijan, Skr. pīy to scorn; prob. akin to E. feud a quarrel. √81. Cf. Foe, Friend.].

 An implacable or malicious foe; one who is diabolically wicked or cruel; an infernal being; -- applied specifically to the devil or a demon.  [1913 Webster]
"Into this wild abyss the wary fiend
Stood on the brink of Hell and looked a while."  [1913 Webster]
"O woman! woman! when to ill thy mind
Is bent, all hell contains no fouler fiend."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

fiend, n.
1 a an evil spirit, a demon. b (prec. by the) the Devil.
2 a a very wicked or cruel person. b a person causing mischief or annoyance.
3 (with a qualifying word) sl. a devotee or addict (a fitness fiend).
4 something difficult or unpleasant.

Derivative

fiendish adj. fiendishly adv. fiendishness n. fiendlike adj.

Etymology

OE feond f. Gmc

THESAURUS

fiend

Apollyon, Baba Yaga, Beelzebub, LSD user, Lilith, Lucifer, Mafioso, Old Nick, Old Scratch, Satan, Young Turk, acidhead, addict, aficionado, afreet, alcoholic, ape-man, barghest, beast, beldam, berserk, berserker, bigot, bomber, brute, buff, bug, cacodemon, chain smoker, cocaine sniffer, cokie, collector, cubehead, daeva, demon, devil, devil incarnate, devotee, diablo, dipsomaniac, dope fiend, doper, dragon, drug abuser, drug addict, drug user, drunkard, dybbuk, eager beaver, energumen, enthusiast, evil genius, evil spirit, faddist, fan, fanatic, fiend from hell, fire-eater, firebrand, follower, freak, fury, genie, genius, ghoul, glue sniffer, goon, gorilla, great one for, gunsel, gyre, habitual, hardnose, harpy, head, heavy smoker, hell-raiser, hellcat, hellhound, hellion, hellkite, hobbyist, holy terror, hood, hoodlum, hophead, hothead, hotspur, hound, hype, incendiary, incubus, infatuate, jinni, jinniyeh, junkie, killer, lamia, mad dog, madcap, maniac, marijuana smoker, methhead, monster, mugger, narcotics addict, nut, ogre, ogress, pillhead, pothead, pursuer, rakshasa, rapist, revolutionary, rhapsodist, satan, savage, serpent, she-wolf, shedu, snowbird, speed freak, spitfire, succubus, sucker for, termagant, terror, terrorist, the undead, tiger, tigress, tough, tough guy, tripper, ugly customer, user, vampire, violent, virago, visionary, vixen, werewolf, wild beast, witch, wolf, yogini, zealot

ROGET THESAURUS

fiend

Demon

N demon, daemon, demonry, demonology, evil genius, fiend, familiar, daeva, devil, bad spirit, unclean spirit, cacodemon, incubus, Eblis, shaitan, succubus, succuba, Frankenstein's monster, Titan, Shedim, Mephistopheles, Asmodeus, Moloch, Belial, Ahriman, fury, harpy, Friar Rush, vampire, ghoul, afreet, barghest, Loki, ogre, ogress, gnome, gin, jinn, imp, deev, lamia, bogie, bogeyman, bogle, nis, kobold, flibbertigibbet, fairy, brownie, pixy, elf, dwarf, urchin, Puck, Robin Goodfellow, leprechaun, Cluricaune, troll, dwerger, sprite, ouphe, bad fairy, nix, nixie, pigwidgeon, will-o'-the wisp, ghost, revenant, specter, apparition, spirit, shade, shadow, vision, hobglobin, goblin, orc, wraith, spook, boggart, banshee, loup-garou, lemures, evil eye, merman, mermaid, merfolk, siren, satyr, faun, manito, manitou, manitu, possession, demonic possession, diabolic possession, insanity, Maxwell's demon, demoniac, demonic, demonical, impish, demoniacal, fiendish, fiend-like, supernatural, weird, uncanny, unearthly, spectral, ghostly, ghost-like, elfin, elvin, elfish, elflike, haunted, pokerish, possessed, possessed by a devil, possessed by a demon, demonically.

Evil doer

N evil doer, evil worker, wrongdoer, mischief-maker, marplot, oppressor, tyrant, destroyer, Vandal, iconoclast, firebrand, incendiary, fire bug, pyromaniac, anarchist, communist, terrorist, savage, brute, ruffian, barbarian, semibarbarian, caitiff, desperado, Apache, hoodlum, hood, plug-ugly, Red Skin, tough, Mohawk, Mo-hock, Mo-hawk, bludgeon man, bully, rough, hooligan, larrikin, dangerous classes, ugly customer, thief, cockatrice, scorpion, hornet, snake, viper, adder, snake in the grass, serpent, cobra, asp, rattlesnake, anaconda, canker-worm, wire-worm, locust, Colorado beetle, alacran, alligator, caymon, crocodile, mosquito, mugger, octopus, torpedo, bane, cutthroat, cannibal, anthropophagus, anthropophagist, bloodsucker, vampire, ogre, ghoul, gorilla, vulture, gyrfalcon, gerfalcon, wild beast, tiger, hyena, butcher, hangman, blood-hound, hell- hound, sleuth-hound, catamount, cougar, jaguar, puma, hag, hellhag, beldam, Jezebel, monster, fiend, devil incarnate, demon in human shape, Frankenstein's monster, harpy, siren, Furies, Eumenides, Hun, Attila, scourge of the human race, faenum habet in cornu.