Old Nick

noun

ˈōl(d)-ˈnik How to pronounce Old Nick (audio)
Definition of Old Nicknext
as in Satan
the supreme personification of evil often represented as the ruler of hell he gave me a look that would scare Old Nick

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of Old Nick Jimmy refers to the Devil, his alleged father, by the more casual moniker Old Nick. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2026 Sir Jimmy is a psychopath who believes that the voice in his head belongs to his father, Old Nick (an archaic name for the Devil). — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Old Nick
  1. Satan
  2. devil
  3. Lucifer
Noun
  • Gibson also confirmed that Resurrection will include a depiction of Satan, portrayed in The Passion of the Christ by Rosalinda Celentano.
    — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 26 May 2026
  • Dante and Virgil escape Hell by clambering down Satan's monstrous hide and through Earth's center of gravity.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 May 2026
Definition of Satan
Noun
  • In Jennifer’s Body, Needy (Seyfried) is BFFs with the titular mean girl played by Fox, whose body becomes possessed by a succubus with a taste for teen boys after a botched sacrifice by a devil-worshipping boy band (led by Adam Brody).
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Behave yourself, buddy, or the little red devil will take you away!
    — Sanat Pai Raikar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of devil
Noun
  • O'Keefe said Lucifer would have likely been played by Freeman or Carrey.
    — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 25 May 2026
  • Her other credits include arcs on Burn Notice, Two and a Half Men, Suits, and Lucifer.
    — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
Definition of Lucifer

Browse Nearby Words

oldness
Old Nick
olds
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Old Nick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Old%20Nick. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All