satan means the supreme evil spirit in the Abrahamic religions, who tempts humanity into sin; the Devil; (Theistic Satanism) the same figure, regarded as a deity to be revered and worshipped. It carries an Arena rating of 1446, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, satan ranks #1,151 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #1,340 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #1,490 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #2,030 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
satan is pronounced /ˈseɪ.tən/.
Why “satan” is a great word
The cosmic adversary, the personification of radical evil who tempts, accuses, and opposes divine will. From Middle English Sathan, from Old English Satan, from Latin Satan, from Ancient Greek Σατάν (Satán), from Hebrew שָׂטָן (satán, "adversary, accuser"). Unlike "Lucifer," which names a fallen angel of celestial light, or "Shaitan," a term for any malevolent spirit, "Satan" is the proper title of the office itself—the supreme Adversary. He is the serpent's whisper in the perfect garden, the desert tempter offering kingdoms of dust, the shadow that argues your unworthiness in the ear of God; less a monster than a function, the necessary shadow that makes choice possible and turns every garden into a place where one must decide.
Etymology
From Middle English Sathan, Satan, from Old English Satan, from Latin Satan, from Ancient Greek Σατάν (Satán), from Hebrew שָׂטָן (satán, “adversary, accuser”) and Arabic شَيْطَان (šayṭān, “satan, devil”). Doublet of shaitan.
name
- The supreme evil spirit in the Abrahamic religions, who tempts humanity into sin; the Devil; (Theistic Satanism) the same figure, regarded as a deity to be revered and worshipped.e.g.“Many Satanists reject the notion that Satan is bad.”
- A person or animal regarded as particularly malignant, detestable, or evil; used as an epithet or as a name for an animal.e.g.“'Cause I finished with him, so I just felt kind of relieved and empowered afterwards, you know? He was tryin' to dilute my squash, and I was like, "Not today, Satan."” — 2023, Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia, directed by Raine Allen-Miller, Rye Lane, spoken by Yas (Vivian Oparah):
noun
- A demon follower of Satan (principal evil spirit); a fallen angel.e.g.“This literature refers to a major figurehead of evil called “Satan,” the leader of a group of angels also referred to as “Satans.” These Satans accuse people and lead them astray.” — 1992, Clinton E. Arnold, Powers of Darkness: Principalities & Powers in Paul′s Letters, page 67:
- Anything that causes destruction or is viewed as evil.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- satanite 67% match — A follower of Satan; Satanist. vs satan →
- satanic 66% match — Evil, fiendish, devilish or diabolical. vs satan →
- shaitan 65% match — a demon/devil; or evil jinn. vs satan →
- satanism 61% match — Worship or reverence to Satan (usually synonymous with "the Devil"). vs satan →
- demon 60% match — An evil supernatural being.; An evil being resident in or working for Hell; a devil. vs satan →
- luciferian 60% match — An adherent of Luciferianism. vs satan →
- mephistopheles 58% match — A fiendish person, especially one who tricks someone into following a destructive or disastrous course of action; a tempter. vs satan →
- satanist 57% match — One who identifies with Anton Szandor LaVey's philosophical teachings and the religion, Satanism, founded upon it. vs satan →