great satan: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Political, Propaganda, Rhetorical, Offensive
Quick answer
What does “great satan” mean?
A pejorative epithet used primarily by certain political and religious leaders, particularly in Iran, to refer to the United States of America.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A pejorative epithet used primarily by certain political and religious leaders, particularly in Iran, to refer to the United States of America.
A rhetorical device representing the United States as the ultimate source of evil, corruption, and oppression in global affairs, from the perspective of its ideological opponents.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant dialectal variation in form. The term originates from and is primarily used in non-English political contexts (e.g., Farsi). Its use in English-language media is almost always in reporting the speech of others, not as a self-referential term.
Connotations
In both varieties, use of the term signifies reporting or analysis of hostile foreign rhetoric, not endorsement. It is universally recognized as a term of extreme denunciation.
Frequency
Extremely rare in native English discourse except as a reported quote or in academic/political analysis of anti-Americanism.
Grammar
How to Use “great satan” in a Sentence
[Country/Leader] denounced/referred to/called the United States (the) 'Great Satan'.Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in political science, international relations, and Middle Eastern studies when analyzing Iranian or similar revolutionary rhetoric.
Everyday
Extremely rare and only in the context of discussing geopolitics.
Technical
Not applicable.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “great satan”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “great satan”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “great satan”
- Using it as a casual or descriptive term for the US (highly offensive).
- Writing it in lower case ('great satan') which misses its function as a proper title.
- Using it outside of very specific geopolitical commentary.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a loan translation from Farsi, used almost exclusively as a reported political slogan or in analysis thereof. It is not part of general English vocabulary.
It is most famously associated with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, though similar imagery existed in radical discourse before.
Only if you are directly quoting someone, discussing its use by others, or analyzing the concept. Using it as your own description would be seen as highly biased and offensive.
In the same rhetorical framework, 'Little Satan' was sometimes used to refer to the United Kingdom or, later, Israel, implying they are subordinate agents of the primary evil (the US).
A pejorative epithet used primarily by certain political and religious leaders, particularly in Iran, to refer to the United States of America.
Great satan is usually political, propaganda, rhetorical, offensive in register.
Great satan: in British English it is pronounced /ˌɡreɪt ˈseɪt(ə)n/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌɡreɪt ˈseɪt(ə)n/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a classic villain (a 'Satan' figure) portrayed as grand and powerful ('Great'). This is how the term's users frame the United States.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE STATE IS A DEMONIC ENTITY / THE ADVERSARY IS SATAN.
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the term 'Great Satan' most appropriately be used by an English speaker?