Kakodaimon

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term describing a mischievous or malevolent spirit associated with misfortune
2. Referring to a being or entity that embodies ill fortune or undesirable outcomes in various circumstances
3. Characterizing a figure in mythology or folklore that causes calamity or chaos, often seen as a source of harm or evil influence

Etymology: In ancient Greek, "kakodaimon" was a compound of "kakos" (bad) and "daimon" (a divine power, spirit or supernatural being), so it meant something like "bad spirit" or "evil divinity." Greek "daimon" itself was a fairly neutral word for a supernatural force that might be benevolent or harmful, which is why the prefix was needed to make the negative sense explicit. English took the word directly from Ancient Greek as a learned borrowing, so it reached the language through scholarly and literary channels rather than everyday speech. Its use is confined to mythological and literary contexts, where it names an evil spirit in the sense of a malevolent supernatural being.

Synonyms: evil spirit, demon, malevolent spirit

Antonyms: agathodaimon, benevolent spirit, good spirit