Translation guide
Describes something extremely cruel, evil, or difficult in a way that seems almost supernatural.
Describing a person, act, or plan that is shockingly wicked or malicious.
Standard word for 'cruel' or 'brutal', often used for acts or people.
Describing a plan, puzzle, or device that is ingeniously complex and often malicious.
Describing a task, problem, or situation that is maddeningly hard.
Direct translations like '悪魔的' (devilish) are less common in casual speech. Use context-appropriate words like '残忍' for cruelty or '巧妙' for cleverness.
彼の残忍な計画に皆が震え上がった。
Everyone shuddered at his fiendish plan.
Stronger, more dramatic term for heinous and atrocious evil.
その極悪非道な行為は許されない。
That fiendish act is unforgivable.
Literally 'demon beast'; used for someone utterly heartless and cruel.
あんな鬼畜のような所業は聞いたことがない。
I've never heard of such a fiendish deed.
Literally 'devilish'; emphasizes a demonic quality.
彼の悪魔的な笑みが忘れられない。
I can't forget his fiendish grin.
Means 'ingenious' or 'clever', often with a negative connotation when describing traps or schemes.
犯人は巧妙な罠を仕掛けた。
The culprit set a fiendish trap.
Literally 'like a devil'; used to describe something devilishly clever.
そのパズルは悪魔のような難しさだ。
That puzzle is fiendishly difficult.
Means 'cunning' or 'sly', often for deceptive cleverness.
彼の狡猾な策略に引っかかった。
I fell for his fiendish scheme.
Means 'unmanageable' or 'too much to handle', often for difficult situations.
この問題は手に負えないほど難しい。
This problem is fiendishly difficult.
Colloquial way to say 'incredibly difficult'.
試験はとてつもなく難しかった。
The exam was fiendish.
Means 'esoteric' or 'hard to understand', used for puzzles or concepts.
その暗号は難解を極めた。
The code was fiendishly complex.