Word
satanic
Phoneticssa·tan·ic
US/səˈtænɪk/
UK/sɐtˈænɪk/
Definition
adj. connected to or like the devil. People use it to describe things that seem very evil or are related to the worship of Satan.
adj. relating to or characteristic of Satan; extremely evil or cruel in nature.
Examples
“The movie features a mysterious satanic ritual.”
“During the Middle Ages, many natural disasters were wrongly attributed to satanic influences or witchcraft.”
“The poet used satanic imagery not to promote evil, but to symbolize a radical rebellion against the restrictive social hierarchies of his era.”
Examples
simple
“The movie features a mysterious satanic ritual.”
contextual
“During the Middle Ages, many natural disasters were wrongly attributed to satanic influences or witchcraft.”
complex
“The poet used satanic imagery not to promote evil, but to symbolize a radical rebellion against the restrictive social hierarchies of his era.”
Usage
Often used figuratively to describe acts of extreme cruelty or malice beyond religious contexts.
Real-World Examples
“Slemmer's murder created a media frenzy in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1995, when the teen was found with a pentagram - a symbol that is associated with satanic groups - carved into her chest.” “The case received widespread attention because of the brutality of the killing, the ages of the people involved, and because a satanic symbol was carved into the victim’s body.” Etymology
From satan + -ic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.