Great Satan

Meaning

The United States of America, particularly with regard to its perceived imperialist foreign policy.

Translations

Großer Satan

Satan

Gran Satán

Etymology

Calque of Iranian Persian شیطان بزرگ (šeytân-e bozorg), which is more often the name of the largest of the three jamarat at which stones are thrown during the hajj. The derogatory sense was coined by Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979 to 1989 Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979, one day after the onset of the Iran hostage crisis.