diabolic (English)

Where does "diabolic" come from?

The word 'diabolic' traces its roots back to the Ancient Greek 'diábolos,' meaning 'slanderer,' which was formed by combining 'dia-' (through) with 'ballō' (to throw). This evocative image of 'throwing' or spreading malice evolved through Late Latin and Middle French before entering Middle English in the 14th century. Over time, the term shifted from its original sense of slanderous behavior to the broader, modern definition describing qualities associated with the Devil himself.

Full etymology tree

• diabolic (English), 'Of, being, or pertaining to a devil or the Devil.'
  • inherited diabolik (Middle English)
    • borrowed diabolique (Middle French), 'diabolic (relating to the Devil or to devils)'
      • inherited diabolicus (Latin), 'diabolic'
        • borrowed διαβολικός (diabolikós) (Ancient Greek), 'slanderous'
          • suffix διάβολος (diábolos) (Ancient Greek), 'slanderous; libellous'
            • compound διά (diá) (Ancient Greek), '[with genitive]'
            • compound βάλλω (bállō) (Ancient Greek), 'to throw, cast, hurl'
              • inherited *gʷelH- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing'
          • suffix -ικός (-ikós) (Ancient Greek), 'Added to noun stems to form adjectives: of or pertaining to, in the manner of; -ic'
            • derived -κός (-kós) (Ancient Greek), 'forms adjectives with the sense of 'of or pertaining to', 'in the manner of''
              • inherited *-kos (Proto-Indo-European), 'Creates deadjectival and desubstantival adjectives denoting the characteristic of, typical of, pertaining to.'

Direct ancestors

• gʷelH- (Proto-Indo-European)
• diabolique (Middle French)
• diabolicus (Latin)
• διαβολικός (Ancient Greek)

Updated June 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris