Devil vs. Demon — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 25, 2023
"Devil" typically refers to a supreme evil being, often Satan in Christianity, while "Demon" denotes a lesser malevolent spirit or entity.
Difference Between Devil and Demon
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Devil" and "Demon", both words, are used to describe evil entities but are distinguished by their power, hierarchy, and contexts. "Devil" often signifies a primary evil figure. In Christian theology, for example, the Devil is synonymous with Satan, the fallen angel who opposes God. In contrast, "Demon" connotes a lesser evil spirit that might cause harm, possession, or temptation.
Across various cultures and religions, the characterization of the "Devil" is somewhat consistent, often portrayed as the chief antagonist against a higher power or deity. This chief evil entity might have different names in different cultures, but the archetype remains fairly constant. "Demon", on the other hand, is more generic. While all Devils might be considered demons in a broader sense, not all demons are Devils. Demons can be seen as foot soldiers or lower-ranking malevolent entities.
In popular culture, the "Devil" is often personified as a singular entity, potentially charming but ultimately deceitful. "Demon", in contrast, might be used to describe anything from ancient malevolent spirits to metaphorical personal struggles or inner demons.
To encapsulate, while "Devil" and "Demon" are both symbols of evil, the former often stands as a principal figure of evil, whereas the latter represents a wider range of malevolent spirits or entities.
Comparison Chart
Meaning
A supreme evil being
A lesser evil spirit or entity
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Hierarchy
Chief antagonist or primary evil entity
Lesser malevolent spirits, often serving a greater evil
Usage in Religion
Often synonymous with Satan in Christianity
Broadly mentioned across many religions
Cultural Context
Consistent characterization as a primary evil figure
Varies; can be spirits, deities, or entities
Grammatical Function
Noun
Noun
Compare with Definitions
Devil
Satan; the chief evil spirit in Christianity.
The Devil tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden.
Demon
An inner or personal issue or problem.
He's battling his personal demons.
Devil
A person with specified characteristics.
He's a lucky devil to have won the lottery.
Demon
An evil spirit or devil.
Ancient cultures believed in the existence of many demons.
Devil
A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force.It is difficult to specify a particular definition of any complexity that will cover all of the traditions, beyond that it is a manifestation of evil.
Demon
A demon is a supernatural being, typically associated with evil, prevalent historically in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, anime, and television series. In Ancient Near Eastern religions and in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered a harmful spiritual entity which may cause demonic possession, calling for an exorcism.
Devil
Often Devil In many religions, the major personified spirit of evil, ruler of Hell, and foe of God. Used with the.
Demon
An evil supernatural being; a devil.
Devil
A subordinate evil spirit; a demon.
Demon
A persistently tormenting person, force, or passion
The demon of drug addiction.
Devil
A wicked or malevolent person.
Demon
One who is extremely zealous, skillful, or diligent
Worked away like a demon.
A real demon at math.
Devil
A person
A handsome devil.
The poor devil.
Demon
Variant of daimon.
Devil
An energetic, mischievous, daring, or clever person.
Demon
An evil supernatural spirit.
Devil
(Printing) A printer's devil.
Demon
An evil spirit resident in or working for Hell; a devil.
Devil
A device or machine, especially one having teeth or spikes and used for tearing.
Demon
A false god or idol; a Satanic divinity.
Devil
An outstanding example, especially of something difficult or bad
Has a devil of a temper.
Demon
A very wicked or malevolent person; also in weakened sense a mischievous person, especially a child.
Devil
A severe reprimand or expression of anger
Gave me the devil for cutting class.
Demon
A source (especially personified) of great evil or wickedness; a destructive feeling or character flaw.
The demon of stupidity haunts me whenever I open my mouth.
Devil
(Informal) Used as an intensive
Who the devil do you think you are?.
Demon
(in plural) A person's fears or anxieties.
Devil
To season (food) heavily.
Demon
A neutral supernatural spirit.
Devil
To annoy, torment, or harass.
Demon
A person's inner spirit or genius; a guiding or creative impulse.
Devil
To tear up (cloth or rags) in a toothed machine.
Demon
(Greek mythology) A tutelary deity or spirit intermediate between the major Olympian gods and mankind, especially a deified hero or the entity which supposedly guided Socrates, telling him what not to do.
Devil
(theology) The chief devil; Satan.
Demon
A spirit not considered to be inherently evil; a (non-Christian) deity or supernatural being.
Devil
(theology) An evil creature, the objectification of a hostile and destructive force.
Demon
A hypothetical entity with special abilities postulated for the sake of a thought experiment in philosophy or physics.
Devil
(folklore) A fictional image of a man, usually red or orange in skin color; with a set of horns on his head, a pointed goatee and a long tail and carrying a pitchfork; that represents evil and portrayed to children in an effort to discourage bad behavior.
Demon
Someone with great strength, passion or skill for a particular activity, pursuit etc.; an enthusiast.
He’s a demon at the card tables.
Devil
The bad part of the conscience; the opposite to the angel.
The devil in me wants to let him suffer.
Demon
(card games) A type of patience or solitaire (card game) played in the UK and/or US.
Devil
A wicked or naughty person, or one who harbors reckless, spirited energy, especially in a mischievous way; usually said of a young child.
Those two kids are devils in a toy store.
Demon
Any of various hesperiid butterflies of the genera Notocrypta and Udaspes.
Devil
A thing that is awkward or difficult to understand or do.
That math problem was a devil.
Demon
A spirit, or immaterial being, holding a middle place between men and deities in pagan mythology.
The demon kind is of an intermediate nature between the divine and the human.
Devil
Hell.
What in the devil is that?
What the devil is that?
She is having a devil of a time fixing it.
You can go to the devil for all I care.
Demon
One's genius; a tutelary spirit or internal voice; as, the demon of Socrates.
Devil
A person, especially a man; used to express a particular opinion of him, usually in the phrases poor devil and lucky devil.
Demon
An evil spirit; a devil.
That same demon that hath gulled thee thus.
Devil
A printer's assistant.
Demon
One of the evil spirits of traditional Jewish and Christian belief
Devil
(India) A poltergeist that haunts printing works.
Demon
A cruel wicked and inhuman person
Devil
A dust devil.
Demon
Someone extremely diligent or skillful;
He worked like a demon to finish the job on time
She's a demon at math
Devil
A barren, unproductive and unused area.
Devil strip
Demon
A forceful or skillful performer of a specified activity.
He's a demon on the guitar.
Devil
(cookery) A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper.
Demon
A cruel, wicked, or harmful person or thing.
The dictator was a true demon in disguise.
Devil
A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc.
Demon
A variant or modified version of something.
The software team created a demon of their program for testing.
Devil
A Tasmanian devil.
Devil
An endurance event where riders who fall behind are periodically eliminated.
Devil
(nautical) devil seam: {{ngd}}
Devil
To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil.
Devil
To annoy or bother.
Devil
To work as a ‘devil’; to work for a lawyer or writer without fee or recognition.
Devil
To prepare (food) with spices, making it spicy:
Devil
To grill with cayenne pepper; to season highly in cooking, as with pepper.
Devil
To finely grind cooked ham or other meat with spices and condiments.
Devil
To prepare a sidedish of shelled halved boiled eggs to whose extracted yolks are added condiments and spices, which mixture then is placed into the halved whites to be served.
She's going to devil four dozen eggs for the picnic.
Devil
The Evil One; Satan, represented as the tempter and spiritual of mankind.
[Jesus] being forty days tempted of the devil.
That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world.
Devil
An evil spirit; a demon.
A dumb man possessed with a devil.
Devil
A very wicked person; hence, any great evil.
Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
Devil
An expletive of surprise, vexation, or emphasis, or, ironically, of negation.
The devil a puritan that he is, . . . but a timepleaser.
The things, we know, are neither rich nor rare,But wonder how the devil they got there.
Devil
A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper.
Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron.
Devil
A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc.
Devil
To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil.
Devil
To grill with Cayenne pepper; to season highly in cooking, as with pepper.
A deviled leg of turkey.
Devil
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
Devil
One of the evil spirits of traditional Jewish and Christian belief
Devil
A word used in exclamations of confusion;
What the devil
The deuce with it
The dickens you say
Devil
A rowdy or mischievous person (usually a young man);
He chased the young hellions out of his yard
Devil
A cruel wicked and inhuman person
Devil
Cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations;
Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me
It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves
Devil
Coat or stuff with a spicy paste;
Devilled eggs
Devil
A supreme evil being in many religions.
People often picture the Devil with horns and a pitchfork.
Devil
A device or machine.
She used a devil to grind the spices.
Devil
Extreme difficulty or effort in doing something.
I had the devil of a time fixing the car.
Common Curiosities
Is the Devil always portrayed as male?
In many cultures and religions, yes, but depictions can vary.
Can "Demon" refer to personal struggles?
Yes, "personal demons" often refer to inner struggles or issues.
Are "Devil" and "Demon" interchangeable terms?
Not always. While both indicate evil, "Devil" often refers to a primary evil being, while "Demon" is a lesser evil spirit.
Why is the Devil often depicted with horns?
It's a cultural symbol, possibly representing evil, that has persisted over time.
Do all cultures believe in demons?
Many cultures have some concept of malevolent spirits, though details vary.
Can "Demon" refer to a helpful spirit?
Typically, no, but definitions of "demon" have varied over time and cultures.
Can "Devil" also mean a tricky or mischievous person?
Yes, it can be used colloquially as in "You little devil!".
Can "Demon" have a non-malevolent meaning?
Yes, like when describing someone highly skilled: "a demon at the guitar".
Do all religions have a concept of the Devil?
Many do, but the characteristics and names might differ.
Is "Devil" always associated with Christianity?
While often associated with Christianity, the concept of a primary evil being exists in many religions.
Are demons always subordinate to the Devil?
In many beliefs, yes, but demon hierarchies can vary across cultures.
Is the Devil considered a god?
In some beliefs, the Devil is seen as a god of evil, but this varies.
Can a place be described as "demon-infested"?
Yes, it's a way to say a place is believed to be occupied by evil spirits.
Is "Devil's advocate" literally advocating for the Devil?
No, it's a figure of speech meaning to present an opposing view for the sake of argument.
Can "Demon" be used in technology?
Yes, like "daemon" in computing, which is a background process.
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Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
