demónio (Portugal) / demônio (Brasil)
1. An evil spirit or devil in religious or mythological contexts
The priest performed an exorcism to cast out the demon from the possessed man.
O padre realizou um exorcismo para expulsar o demônio do homem possuído.
2. A person who is extremely wicked, cruel, or evil
The serial killer was described as a demon in human form.
O assassino em série foi descrito como um demônio em forma humana.
3. An inner force or compulsion that drives someone to harmful behavior
He battled his demons and finally overcame his addiction.
Ele enfrentou seus demônios e finalmente superou seu vício.
4. In computing, a background process that runs continuously
The daemon process runs in the background monitoring system resources.
O processo daemon é executado em segundo plano monitorando recursos do sistema.
In Brazilian Catholic culture, 'demônio' carries strong religious significance tied to Afro-Brazilian religions (Candomblé, Umbanda) and evangelical Christianity which is rapidly growing. In the USA, the term reflects Judeo-Christian tradition but is increasingly used metaphorically in pop culture and psychology to describe personal struggles or vices.
NYC Slang
demon can mean an expert or highly skilled person in NYC slang ('that kid is a demon at basketball'), though this is separate from the supernatural meaning
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