Fiend

Fiend
Fiend Fiend, n. [OE. fend, find, fiend, feond, fiend, foe, AS. fe['o]nd; akin to OS. f[=i]ond, D. vijand enemy, OHG. f[=i]ant, G. feind, Icel. fj[=a]nd, Sw. & Dan. fiende, Goth. fijands; orig. p. pr. of a verb meaning to hate, AS. fe['o]n, fe['o]gan, OHG. f[=i]?n, Goth. fijan, Skr. p[=i]y to scorn; prob. akin to E. feud a quarrel. [root]81. Cf. {Foe}, {Friend}.] An implacable or malicious foe; one who is diabolically wicked or cruel; an infernal being; -- applied specifically to the devil or a demon. [1913 Webster]

Into this wild abyss the wary fiend Stood on the brink of Hell and looked a while. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

O woman! woman! when to ill thy mind Is bent, all hell contains no fouler fiend. --Pope. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • fiend — [fi:nd] n [: Old English; Origin: feond enemy ] 1.) a very cruel, evil, or violent person ▪ a heartless fiend ▪ Both of them were fighting like fiends. a sex/rape fiend (=one who commits very unpleasant sex attacks) 2.) television/sports/fresh… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • fiend — fiend; fiend·ish; fiend·ly; fiend·ish·ly; fiend·ish·ness; …   English syllables

  • fiend — [fēnd] n. [ME fend, feend < OE feond, lit., the one hating, orig. prp. < base of feogan, to hate, akin to Goth fijands < fijan, to hate < IE base * pē(i) , to harm] 1. an evil spirit; devil 2. an inhumanly wicked or cruel person ☆ 3.… …   English World dictionary

  • fiend — [ find ] noun count 1. ) MAINLY LITERARY a very evil person: MONSTER 2. ) INFORMAL someone who is extremely enthusiastic about something: He s a real fresh air fiend …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • fiend — O.E. feond enemy, foe, originally prp. of feogan to hate, from P.Gmc. *fijæjan (Cf. O.Fris. fiand enemy, O.S. fiond, M.D. viant, Du. vijand enemy, O.N. fjandi, O.H.G. fiant, Goth. fijands), from PIE root …   Etymology dictionary

  • fiend — [n1] dastardly person barbarian, beast, brute, degenerate, demon, devil, diablo*, evil spirit, hellion, imp, little devil*, Mephistopheles, monster, ogre, Satan, savage, serpent, troll; concept 412 Ant. angel, friend fiend [n2] person… …   New thesaurus

  • fiend — ► NOUN 1) an evil spirit or demon. 2) a very wicked or cruel person. 3) informal an enthusiast or devotee: an exercise fiend. ORIGIN Old English, «an enemy, the devil» …   English terms dictionary

  • fiend|ly — «FEEND lee», adjective. Obsolete. devilish; fiendish …   Useful english dictionary

  • fiend — noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English fīend; akin to Old High German fīant enemy, Sanskrit pīyati he reviles, blames Date: before 12th century 1. a. devil 1 b. demon c. a person of great wickedness or maliciousness 2. a person… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • fiend — [[t]fi͟ːnd[/t]] fiends 1) N COUNT If you describe someone as a fiend, you mean that they are extremely wicked or cruel. [WRITTEN] ...such a saint to his patients and such a fiend to his children. Syn: monster 2) N COUNT: n N Fiend can be used… …   English dictionary

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