: an ugly or grotesque sprite that is usually mischievous and sometimes evil and malicious
Synonyms
Examples of goblin in a Sentence
dressed up the toddlers like goblins for Halloween
Recent Examples on the Web
During the Marche, hundreds of people dress as the Nain Rouge and other characters or carry miniature versions of the goblin.
—
Detroit Free Press, 24 Mar. 2024
Then later, apparently by chance, The Doctor meets Ruby Sunday, his new companion, played by Gibson, as they are brought together by fantastical goblins in their lives.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Dec. 2023
And every year some 200 Renaissance fairs are held across dozens of US states and Canada, where participants come dressed as knights, jesters, damsels, pirates or even goblins, wizards, witches and fairies.
—Eva Rothenberg, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024
One of the tieflings is shot through with goblin arrows trying to open the gate.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 3 Aug. 2023
In the video, O’Brien takes the example of one early quest, where you’re meant to infiltrate a goblin camp and free a prisoner, and the absurd variety of ways the encounter can be taken on:
As for me?
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023
Case in point: the program includes a duet integrating Thai mouth organ and Korean zither, a vocal/electronics piece inspired by the Syrian civil war and a world premiere exploring goblins from Korean folklore.
—Beth Wood, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2023
As the pre-show played out, all eyes were on the gorgeous gowns, the dapper tuxes and that one puzzling green goblin, but even all the glamour couldn’t take away from the appearance of the step and repeat.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 16 Jan. 2024
There’s a chill in the air, leaves litter the ground, and houses up and down on your street are decked out with ghouls, goblins and all manner of grim tidings.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 26 Oct. 2023
Detroit Free Press, 24 Mar. 2024
Then later, apparently by chance, The Doctor meets Ruby Sunday, his new companion, played by Gibson, as they are brought together by fantastical goblins in their lives.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Dec. 2023
And every year some 200 Renaissance fairs are held across dozens of US states and Canada, where participants come dressed as knights, jesters, damsels, pirates or even goblins, wizards, witches and fairies.
—Eva Rothenberg, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024
One of the tieflings is shot through with goblin arrows trying to open the gate.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 3 Aug. 2023
In the video, O’Brien takes the example of one early quest, where you’re meant to infiltrate a goblin camp and free a prisoner, and the absurd variety of ways the encounter can be taken on:
As for me?
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023
Case in point: the program includes a duet integrating Thai mouth organ and Korean zither, a vocal/electronics piece inspired by the Syrian civil war and a world premiere exploring goblins from Korean folklore.
—Beth Wood, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2023
As the pre-show played out, all eyes were on the gorgeous gowns, the dapper tuxes and that one puzzling green goblin, but even all the glamour couldn’t take away from the appearance of the step and repeat.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 16 Jan. 2024
There’s a chill in the air, leaves litter the ground, and houses up and down on your street are decked out with ghouls, goblins and all manner of grim tidings.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 26 Oct. 2023
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Goblin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goblin. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
goblin
noun
gob·lin
ˈgäb-lən 
: an ugly, evil, or mischievous elf
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