Mephistopheles

noun

Meph·​is·​toph·​e·​les ˌme-fə-ˈstä-fə-ˌlēz How to pronounce Mephistopheles (audio)
: a chief devil in the Faust legend

Examples of Mephistopheles in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the Mephistopheles movement, Bernstein augments the infernal atmosphere by having the strings play sul ponticello—a ghastly slithering of the bow near the bridge. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Mephistopheles.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

German

First Known Use

circa 1590, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Mephistopheles was circa 1590

Dictionary Entries Near Mephistopheles

Cite this Entry

“Mephistopheles.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mephistopheles. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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