What does demoness mean?
A demoness is a female demon — an evil spirit or malevolent supernatural being conceived in feminine form. The word appears chiefly in literature: mythology, folklore, religious writing, and especially fantasy fiction, where authors use it to distinguish female demons from their male counterparts. It can also be used figuratively to describe a woman perceived as cruel or terrifying, though this application is strongly pejorative and rare outside hyperbole. Formed by adding the feminine suffix -ess to demon, it belongs to a small family of English words that mark gender explicitly, a pattern modern style guides often discourage. Demonesses feature prominently in many traditions, from Mesopotamian figures such as Lamashtu to Jewish folklore's Lilith, and they remain a stock character type in contemporary fantasy, gaming, and horror. For readers and writers, the term offers a compact, evocative label for a familiar archetype of feminine menace.
A female demon or evil spirit.
"The sorcerer summoned a demoness to guard the treasure."
Literary register; most common in fantasy and mythological contexts.
(Figurative) A woman considered extremely cruel or wicked.
"Villagers whispered that the reclusive widow was a demoness."
Strongly pejorative; avoid in neutral or polite usage.
Regular plural formed by adding -es after the sibilant ending; used when referring to multiple female demons.
"The epic pits the hero against an army of demonesses."
English borrows its word for a female demon straight from the Greek daimōn — the same root ancient philosophers used for a guiding spirit, before Christianity turned it sinister.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of demoness
Demoness combines demon, which entered Middle English from Latin daemon and ultimately Greek daimōn, a term originally meaning a divine being or guiding spirit before acquiring negative connotations in Christian usage, with the feminine suffix -ess, borrowed into English from Old French and ultimately Latin -issa. The compound follows the same pattern as other -ess formations such as goddess and lioness. Its cognates therefore include the wider demon- family — demonic, demonology, demoniac — rather than unrelated words.
How demoness is actually used
The word is literary and relatively rare, appearing mostly in fantasy fiction, folklore retellings, and religious or mythological discussion. The figurative sense — describing a woman as a demoness — carries strong pejorative force and is best avoided in polite speech. It is formed with the feminine suffix -ess, which modern usage often prefers to avoid.
Easily confused with demoness
A demon is any evil spirit regardless of gender, while a demoness specifically denotes one imagined as female.