demon

demon — noun

1. In stories and some religions, a demon is a bad supernatural creature that can h

1.nounB2
Definition

In stories and some religions, a demon is a bad supernatural creature that can harm people or take control of them.

Example

In the old story, a demon rose from the lake and terrified the villagers.

A demon had taken control of the boy, so the family called a priest.

demon + taken control of + person for possession

Common collocations
  • evil demon
  • demon possession
  • demon worship
Synonyms
  • devil

    often used interchangeably, but 'devil' tends to refer to a single chief evil figure (Satan), while 'demon' refers to many lesser evil spirits

  • evil spirit

    a broader term covering any malevolent supernatural being, not limited to the specific hierarchy of demons

Antonyms
  • angel

    a good supernatural being, often shown fighting demons in religious stories

2. If you describe someone as a demon at an activity, you mean they do it with amaz

2.nounB2
Definition

If you describe someone as a demon at an activity, you mean they do it with amazing speed, skill, or determination — for example, a coworker who types reports faster than anyone else in the office.

Example

My grandmother is a demon at knitting — she finished a sweater in one evening.

demon at [activity] for a highly skilled person

Gabriela is a demon on the squash court and almost never loses a game.

Common collocations
  • demon at work
  • demon at [sport]
  • like a demon
Synonyms
  • wizard

    also means someone extremely skilled, but usually in intellectual or creative fields ('a math wizard')

  • whiz

    more informal and often used about young people or quick learners ('a computer whiz')

Antonyms
  • beginner

    someone who is just learning and has little skill

  • amateur

    someone who does an activity without professional skill level

Grammar Patterns

demon + at + [activity/noun]

Usage Note

Commonly appears in the patterns 'demon at [activity]' and 'work like a demon'. The comparison 'like a demon' emphasises energy and speed rather than skill.

Common Mistakes

She is a demon of cooking.
She is a demon at cooking.
Use 'at', not 'of', after 'demon' in this sense.
He is a demon on studying.
He is a demon at studying.' or 'He studies like a demon.
Use 'at' for the activity, or 'like a demon' to describe the manner.

3. A demon can be a person, especially a child, who behaves in a cruel, wild, or ve

3.nounB2
Definition

A demon can be a person, especially a child, who behaves in a cruel, wild, or very bad manner.

Example

Their boy was a demon at the party — he broke a window and started a fight.

demon for a badly-behaved child (informal, often humorous)

In the film, the landlord is a demon who raises rent and throws people out.

Common collocations
  • little demon
  • complete demon
Synonyms
  • monster

    stronger and more serious than 'demon'; implies a person is inhumanly cruel

  • brat

    specifically about a badly-behaved child, but milder and less colourful than 'demon'

Antonyms
  • angel

    a very kind, well-behaved person, often used about children ('their kids are little angels')

  • saint

    an extremely patient, kind, or helpful person

Usage Note

When used about children, this sense is often humorous or affectionate rather than truly harsh. When used about adults, it carries genuine disapproval.

Common Mistakes

The dictator was a real demon.' (vague)
The dictator treated his people like a demon.
The meaning is clearer when you specify the bad behaviour.

4. A person's demons are the bad feelings, fears, or painful memories inside them t

4.nounB2
Definition

A person's demons are the bad feelings, fears, or painful memories inside them that cause suffering or harmful behaviour.

Example

After years of therapy, Vivek finally learned to face his inner demons.

collocation: face (one's) (inner) demons

Noor struggled with her personal demons for months before calling a helpline.

Common collocations
  • inner demons
  • personal demons
  • face your demons
  • the demons of the past
  • fight your demons
Synonyms
  • trauma

    a more clinical term for emotional damage from past events; 'demons' is figurative and less formal

  • struggle

    a broader term; 'demons' specifically suggests internal, emotional battles

Antonyms
  • peace of mind

    a state of inner calm and freedom from worry, the opposite of being troubled by demons

Grammar Patterns

[possessive] demons

inner demons

the demons of [something]

Usage Note

Almost always used in the plural ('demons') or the fixed phrase 'inner demons'. Avoid using the singular 'demon' for this sense — it sounds unnatural to native speakers.

Common Mistakes

He is fighting his personal demon.
He is fighting his personal demons.
This sense is nearly always plural.
She conquered her demon of fear.
She conquered her demons of fear and doubt.
Use the plural form with multiple sources of distress.
Idioms

the demon drink

idiom

Alcoholic drinks considered as something harmful or bad.

After his accident, Tom decided to avoid the demon drink.

Maya warned her friends about the dangers of the demon drink.

Word family

  • demonic
    adjectiveB2
  • demonize
    verbC1
  • demonization
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to supernatural or frightening beings, but they are not interchangeable. A demon is specifically an evil spirit from religious or mythological traditions, often part of a hierarchy of bad beings that can possess people or cause harm. The devil (capital D) usually refers to Satan, the single chief evil figure in Christianity; a devil (lowercase) can be a lesser demon, but the word is less common for individual evil spirits. A spirit is the broadest term — it can be good, neutral, or evil (a forest spirit, the spirit of a dead ancestor). A ghost is the spirit of a specific dead person that appears to the living, and it does not have to be evil. A monster is any frightening creature, but it is usually physical and earthbound (a dragon, a giant), not a supernatural spirit. In everyday English, 'That child is a little demon' uses the word metaphorically, while 'that child is a monster' suggests truly cruel behaviour.

devil ↗spirit ↗ghost ↗monster ↗

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

The word demon comes from the Greek word daimōn (δαίμων), which originally meant a spirit or divine power — not necessarily an evil one. In ancient Greece, a daimōn could be a helpful guide or a neutral supernatural force. Latin borrowed the word as daemon. When the Bible was translated into Latin and later into English, daemon was used for evil spirits, and that shifted the meaning. By the Middle Ages, demon in English meant only a bad, evil spirit, and that is the meaning it keeps today.