Mephistopheles

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Railroad magnate and speculator Jay Gould was dubbed “the Mephistopheles of Wall Street” by ministers on the pulpit.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 2, 2025

Höfgen’s most acclaimed role — and yes, he’s talented — is as the demon Mephistopheles in Goethe’s “Faust,” who persuades the hero to sell his soul in return for worldly wealth, status and pleasure.

From New York Times • Sep. 11, 2020

Slipak, who had won fame in France for his renditions of the aria of Mephistopheles from the opera “Faust,” adopted the nom-de-guerre Meph.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 1, 2016

But they are the opposite of solemn; Goethe delights in his burlesque Mephistopheles, always mocking and jesting, as he does in the wild coincidences and improbabilities of Wilhelm’s career.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 1, 2016

He is a very accomplished man, with the look of Mephistopheles in the "Devil's Walk," and she is certainly a most fascinating woman.

From Pencillings by the Way Written During Some Years of Residence and Travel in Europe by Willis, N. Parker