devil and satan share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. devil means “(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell”. satan means “(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell”. devil is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈdɛvəl/
1.n.(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
2.n.an evil supernatural being
3.n.a word used in exclamations of confusion
“what the devil”
| devil | satan | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɛvəl/ | /ˈseɪtən/ |
| Said | DEV-uhl | SAY-tuhn |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 5 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun |
| Senses | 7 | 1 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | Satan, Old Nick, Lucifer | Old Nick, Devil, Lucifer |
Full entry for devil · Full entry for satan · More comparisons
/ˈseɪtən/
1.n.(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell