French word

démon

Pronunciation

IPA/demɔ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine noundemon

Example

Il a vu un démon dans ses rêves.

He saw a demon in his dreams.

Illustration for démon (demon)

More examples

Il refuse d'admettre qu'il a des démons.

He refuses to admit that he has demons.

Core concept

A dark presence pictured outside the body or within the mind, exerting a harmful and persistent influence.

Common phrases

  • avoir des démons

    have demons

  • affronter ses démons

    confront one's demons

Similar words

tentation: An inner urge to do something wrong or harmful.
obsession: A state in which one thought or action repeatedly occupies the mind and cannot be stopped.
culpabilité: A sense of guilt or remorse about one's own actions.
peur: Anxiety or fear caused by expecting danger or a bad outcome.

Definition in French

Au sens propre, être surnaturel malveillant; au sens figuré, ensemble de tendances ou de pulsions internes qui tourmentent une personne.

Word origin

French démon comes from Latin daemon, borrowed from Greek daimōn; Christian demonology narrowed the older spirit term toward an evil being.

Usage tips

  • In figurative use, the plural ses démons commonly refers to recurring inner troubles or impulses rather than supernatural beings.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word