goblin

noun

gob·​lin ˈgä-blən How to pronounce goblin (audio)
: an ugly or grotesque sprite that is usually mischievous and sometimes evil and malicious

Examples of goblin in a Sentence

dressed up the toddlers like goblins for Halloween
Recent Examples on the Web Avoid being infamously known as the house full of ghosts and goblins all year round by going for silly rather than scary decorations. Nafeesah Allen, Parents, 30 Sep. 2024 Downtown Pleasant Hill invites all goblins, ghosts and ghouls to a Halloween Spooktacular complete with face painting and balloon twisting, plus free goodie bags with treats (while supplies last). Brittany Delay, The Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2024 Tales of the Shadow from Kobold Press offers 14 tales of dark bargins, goblin mischief and other stories that can be dropped in to any campaign for a night of frights. Rob Wieland, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024 The Three Sisters Perhaps the most iconic of all the goblin rock formations is the Three Sisters. Carrie Dennis, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for goblin 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'goblin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gobelin, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin gobelinus, ultimately from Greek kobalos rogue

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of goblin was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near goblin

Cite this Entry

“Goblin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goblin. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

goblin

noun
gob·​lin ˈgäb-lən How to pronounce goblin (audio)
: an ugly, evil, or mischievous elf

More from Merriam-Webster on goblin

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