ahriman: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Rare / C2Literary / Religious / Historical
Quick answer
What does “ahriman” mean?
The supreme evil spirit and principle of evil in Zoroastrianism.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The supreme evil spirit and principle of evil in Zoroastrianism; the devil, the destructive spirit.
The term can be used metaphorically or in a literary context to refer to a personification of ultimate evil, darkness, or destructive force.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in usage or meaning. The term is equally rare in both varieties.
Connotations
Elicits connotations of ancient dualistic religion, cosmic evil, and literary archaism.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both corpora, appearing primarily in religious, philosophical, or literary texts.
Grammar
How to Use “ahriman” in a Sentence
Ahriman (as subject) + verb (personified action)Ahriman + of + abstract noun (e.g., Ahriman of destruction)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “ahriman” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- The poet described a landscape of Ahrimanic desolation.
American English
- His worldview had a stark, almost Ahriman dualism.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in religious studies, history of religion, or comparative mythology contexts.
Everyday
Extremely unlikely to be used; would be considered obscure or pretentious.
Technical
Specific term in Zoroastrian theology and studies of dualistic systems.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “ahriman”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “ahriman”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “ahriman”
- Using it uncapitalized (ahriman).
- Using it as a common noun for any minor evil spirit.
- Mispronouncing the first syllable as 'ay' instead of 'ah'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
While conceptually similar as a personification of supreme evil, Ahriman is specific to Zoroastrianism, and Satan to Abrahamic religions. Their theological roles and origins differ.
The standard pronunciation is AH-ri-mən, with the stress on the first syllable, which rhymes with 'car'.
This is highly unusual and would likely confuse most listeners. It's a proper noun and should be capitalized. Using it metaphorically requires a context where the Zoroastrian allusion is understood.
It is included because it is a loanword with a fixed meaning, appears in translations of significant religious texts and in English literature (e.g., Milton, Byron), and is a key term for understanding dualistic thought.
The supreme evil spirit and principle of evil in Zoroastrianism.
Ahriman is usually literary / religious / historical in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to this proper noun.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Ahriman sounds like 'Aargh, a man!' Think of an evil spirit that makes people scream 'Aargh!' when it appears as a man.
Conceptual Metaphor
EVIL IS A DARK OPPOSING FORCE / THE COSMOS IS A MORAL DUALITY.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'Ahriman' most appropriately used?