What does fiend mean?
A fiend is an evil spirit or demon, or — by extension — a person regarded as wicked, cruel, or malevolent. The word carries strong connotations of malice and supernatural menace, appearing frequently in religious texts, folklore, and literature to describe devils and tormenting spirits. In modern usage, the literal demonic sense survives mostly in literary and historical contexts, while everyday speech favors figurative uses: calling someone a fiend exaggerates their ruthlessness or cruelty, as in 'a publicity fiend.' Informally, fiend can also describe an enthusiastic devotee or habitual user of something, as in 'a caffeine fiend' or the older 'dope fiend.' Derived forms such as 'fiendish' extend the meaning further, describing anything devilishly difficult or cruelly clever. Etymologically fascinating, fiend comes from Old English fēond, meaning 'enemy,' formed as the present participle of a verb meaning 'to hate' — making it the ancient opposite of 'friend,' which derives from the same verb's positive counterpart.
An evil spirit or demon.
"Medieval painters filled the corners of hell with grinning fiends."
This is the original and most literal sense, common in religious and literary writing.
A wicked, cruel, or malicious person, often used hyperbolically.
"Only a fiend would kick a dog for barking."
(Informal) An enthusiast or habitual user of something.
"My roommate is a total gaming fiend — she's online until three every morning."
Almost always followed by 'for' or a noun modifier; register is informal.
Regular plural; used freely across all senses.
"The story tells of fiends that lurk beneath frozen lakes."
'Fiend' and 'friend' come from the same Old English verb — one meant 'one who loves,' the other 'one who hates' — making them etymological opposites that happen to rhyme.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fiend
Fiend descends directly from Old English fēond, meaning 'enemy' or 'adversary,' which was the present participle of the verb fēon, 'to hate.' It is thus cognate with 'foe,' which came through Old English gefēa and related Germanic forms, and it shares its Germanic roots with words connected to 'feud' in the sense of enmity. Over the Middle Ages, under the influence of Christian teaching, the sense narrowed from a human enemy to an evil spirit or demon, and later expanded again to describe wicked people and, informally, obsessive devotees.
Related word forms
How fiend is actually used
The literal demonic sense is now mostly literary or historical; calling a person a fiend is usually hyperbolic. The informal sense describing an enthusiast or addict ('a fitness fiend') is common colloquially, though the drug-related use ('dope fiend') is dated and now considered derogatory.
Easily confused with fiend
'Friend' means a person you know and like, while 'fiend' means an evil spirit or malicious person — the words rhyme but are nearly opposite in meaning.