1an evil spirit or devil, especially one thought to possess a person or act as a tormentor in hell:he was possessed by an evil demoneach of the damned souls was guarded by a group of hideous demons
a cruel, evil, or unmanageable person:I was a little demon, I can tell you
a powerful, often destructive compulsion or obsession:he is plagued by demons which go back to his childhood
something very insidious and harmful:the demon of sexism [as modifier]:the demon drink
[mass noun] reckless mischief; devilry:his eyes are bursting with pure demon
2 [often as modifier] a forceful or skilful performer of a specified activity:a friend of mine is a demon cook
