: 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
The plot follows a young girl who ends up wishing away her baby brother into the goblin labyrinth.
—
Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 14 Jan. 2026
Henson was cast as Hoggle, one of the film’s most prominent goblins and Sarah’s reluctant ally, while also managing puppeteering responsibilities behind the scenes.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
The kallikantzaroi are a group of blind, black goblins who live underground during most of the year sawing at the world tree – a motif throughout various folklores that connects the heavens to the Earth.
—Carlie Procell, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
On this day, candles were blessed for use in the coming year, and any decorations left up were thought to be at risk of becoming infested with goblins.
—Bobbi Sutherland, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for goblin
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.
Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 14 Jan. 2026
Henson was cast as Hoggle, one of the film’s most prominent goblins and Sarah’s reluctant ally, while also managing puppeteering responsibilities behind the scenes.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
The kallikantzaroi are a group of blind, black goblins who live underground during most of the year sawing at the world tree – a motif throughout various folklores that connects the heavens to the Earth.
—Carlie Procell, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
On this day, candles were blessed for use in the coming year, and any decorations left up were thought to be at risk of becoming infested with goblins.
—Bobbi Sutherland, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for goblin
Cite this Entry
“Goblin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goblin. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
goblin
noun
gob·lin
ˈgäb-lən 
: an ugly, evil, or mischievous elf
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
