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.
That fiendish act is unforgivable.
Literally 'demon beast'; used for someone utterly heartless and cruel.
I've never heard of such a fiendish deed.
Literally 'devilish'; emphasizes a demonic quality.
I can't forget his fiendish grin.
Means 'ingenious' or 'clever', often with a negative connotation when describing traps or schemes.
The culprit set a fiendish trap.
Literally 'like a devil'; used to describe something devilishly clever.
That puzzle is fiendishly difficult.
Means 'cunning' or 'sly', often for deceptive cleverness.
I fell for his fiendish scheme.
Means 'unmanageable' or 'too much to handle', often for difficult situations.
This problem is fiendishly difficult.
Colloquial way to say 'incredibly difficult'.
The exam was fiendish.
Means 'esoteric' or 'hard to understand', used for puzzles or concepts.
The code was fiendishly complex.