fiend

noun

ˈfēnd How to pronounce fiend (audio)
Synonyms of fiend
1
a
: devil sense 1
b
: demon
c
: a person of great wickedness or maliciousness
2
: a person extremely devoted to a pursuit or study : fanatic
a golf fiend
3
: addict sense 1
a dope fiend
4
: wizard sense 2
a fiend at mathematics

Synonyms of fiend

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Examples of fiend in a Sentence

His hands were trembling, actually trembling, as if he were some sort of coffee fiend or something. —T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Road to Wellville, 1993
Wodehouse may not have liked Dickens, but he certainly read him. He read like a fiend. —Christopher Hitchens, Times Literary Supplement, 7-13 Sept. 1990
The shameless effrontery of the fiend, at the café, pretending to forget all he had done to her, begging to take up with her again, as if nothing had happened between them a dozen years ago. —Irving Wallace, The Plot, 1967
a fiend in human form He's a real golf fiend.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Central Florida has been overtaken by frightening fiends and ghoulish gatherings on front lawns of suburban homes as Halloween fast approaches. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026 Crunchy ice on demand The iced beverage fiend in your life will go gaga for this mini version of our longtime favorite ice maker, the GE Opal. — Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026 Barkov, a workout fiend, is taking a pragmatic approach to his latest injury. — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026 For pizza fiends who want the full experience, Seu offers three different tasting menus that range from five to eight courses and feature his greatest hits. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fiend

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English fīend; akin to Old High German fīant enemy, Sanskrit pīyati he reviles, blames

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of fiend was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing fiend

Rhymes for fiend

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Browse Nearby Words

field yam-root
fiend
fiendish
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Cite this Entry

“Fiend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiend. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

fiend

noun
ˈfēnd How to pronounce fiend (audio)
1
: demon sense 1, devil
2
: an extremely wicked or cruel person
3
a
: a person enthusiastically devoted to something
b
: addict entry 2 sense 1
fiendish
ˈfēn-dish
adjective
fiendishly adverb
fiendishness noun
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