extremely evil or cruel; expressive of cruelty or befitting hell; "something demonic in him--something that could be cruel"; "fires lit up a diabolic scene"; "diabolical sorcerers under the influence of devils"; "a fiendish despot"; "hellish torture"; "infernal instruments of war"; "satanic cruelty"; "unholy grimaces"
Something that is satanic is considered to be caused by or influenced by Satan. satanic cults. satanic ritual
a novel by Salman Rushdie which caused great offence to people whose religion is Islam and caused the Ayatollah Khomeini to give a fatwa, which was an order that Rushdie should be killed (1988)