Mephistopheles

English

Etymology

Schröer suggests a combination of Hebrew מֵפִיץ mêp̄îṣ ("destroyer") and ט֫פֶל tōp̄el ("liar") from ט֫פֶל שֶׁ֫קֶר tōp̄el šeqer ("falsehood plasterer"), see שֶׁקֶר; compare Job xiii:4).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌmɛ.fɪ.ˈstɒ.fɪ.liːz/

Proper noun

Mephistopheles

1. The Devil to whom Faust sold his soul in the legend.

Synonyms

• Mephisto

Derived terms

• Mephistophelean

Translations

Devil to whom Faust sold his soul

• Arabic: مِفِسْتُوفِيلِيس‎ m (mifistūfīlīs)
• Catalan: Mefistòfil
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 梅菲斯托費勒斯, 梅菲斯托费勒斯 (Méifēisītuōfèilèsī)

• Esperanto: Mefistofelo
• Finnish: Mefisto
• French: Méphistophélès (fr) m
• German: Mephistopheles m

• Greek: Μεφιστοφελής m (Mefistofelís)
• Italian: Mefistofele m
• Japanese: メフィストフェレス (Mefisutoferesu)
• Occitan: Mefistofeles m
• Polish: Mefistofeles m
• Portuguese: Mefistófeles m
• Russian: Мефисто́фель (ru) m (Mefistófelʹ)
• Spanish: Mefistófeles m

Noun

Mephistopheles

1. A fiendish person, especially one who tricks someone into following a destructive or disastrous course of action; a tempter.