hobgoblin

noun

ˈhäb-ˌgäb-lən How to pronounce hobgoblin (audio)
Definition of hobgoblinnext
1
as in fairy
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, Puck is a hobgoblin who plays pranks such as spoiling milk and tripping old ladies

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in dread
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason the fear of success and the pressures that come with it can be more of a hobgoblin than the possibility of failure

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hobgoblin Sailing teaches us that being an honorable competitor is more important than being a top competitor because while every race is there to lose, luck is the omnipresent hobgoblin. — Conor Mastromarco, Baltimore Sun, 18 Nov. 2024 Gleeson’s Puck is a malevolent hobgoblin who serves as the royal jester to King Auberon of Faerie. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 2 July 2024 Sightings of the mythical Nain Rouge, a red hobgoblin or dwarf that appears on the eve of tragedy, date to Detroit's origin — and locals have reclaimed the spirit with an annual march to scare the demon away, according to tradition. — Detroit Free Press, 24 Mar. 2024 As Ralph Waldo Emerson might have said in an essay of the same name (and did), a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds; Tommy seems to feel his brain shrinking along with his life. — John Anderson, WSJ, 9 Jan. 2024 See All Example Sentences for hobgoblin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobgoblin
  1. fairy
  2. dread
  3. elf
  4. ogre
  5. goblin
  6. terror
  7. dwarf
  8. bugbear
Noun
  • At a party one night, struggling musician Owen strikes a connection with a young woman (Sadie Soverall) that feels downright magical — she’s even dressed as a fairy, emphasizing the dreaminess of the moment.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The song ‘Enchanted’ is about falling in love and that sort of glittery, twinkly fairy lights feeling.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of fairy
Noun
  • The joy Lisa has with her RHUGT cast compared with the dread her RHOSLC cast seems to bring her really bums me out — especially because of how much of this trip is championing the sisterhood of Housewives.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Along with this came the profound dread that straight white men (like me) felt about saying a single wrong sentence and facing the possibility of permanent exile without forgiveness.
    — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of dread
Noun
  • Elf Once again, the sphynx was crossed with another breed, this time the American Curl, to create the elf’s distinct look.
    — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Yes, there were moments of humor, such as getting magic potions around the campfire at the end of each stage by whacking helpless little elves, but most of it was played straight, to great effect.
    — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of elf
Noun
  • Ella is a young woman cursed to obey all instructions whose quest for self-determination also turns her into an advocate for the kingdom’s oppressed elves and ogres.
    — Chris Bellamy, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Continue reading … 'SERIOUS SEXISM' — El-Sayed explains ‘ogre on a pike’ remark after getting torched by his own party.
    — , FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of ogre
Noun
  • The magical ring that helped Bilbo escape the goblins had become an instrument of addiction and mass political control.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Two years ago, the Man City phenom appeared in a 90-second spot for the game that saw him get recruited to storm a castle teeming with goblins, dragons and impish skeletons.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of goblin
Noun
  • As dark occurrences begin to shatter the quiet of their isolated home, the boy is forced to navigate a harrowing psychological nightmare where the line between real-world madness and supernatural terror blurs.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
  • His thinking ensured that the hotel needed only minor updates over the decades, the biggest renovation resulting from a deadly terror attack and siege in Mumbai in 2008.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of terror
Noun
  • The image, captured a year earlier by the Hubble Space Telescope, showed UGC 9050-Dw1, a dwarf galaxy some 115 million light-years from Earth.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Watching all ten members sing at once is funny the way the seven dwarves all sleeping in their little beds next to each other is funny.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of dwarf
Noun
  • Cuba’s communist regime has historically been a bugbear for the US, particularly for Republicans.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 19 July 2026
  • The heat and humidity during our test week brought me to my other bugbear with the C-HR.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 23 June 2026
Definition of bugbear

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Cite this Entry

“Hobgoblin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobgoblin. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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