goblin

noun

gob·​lin ˈgä-blən 

: an ugly or grotesque sprite that is usually mischievous and sometimes evil and malicious

Synonyms

• brownie
• dwarf
• elf
• faerie
• faery
• fairy
• fay
• gnome
• gremlin
• hobgoblin
• kobold
• leprechaun
• pixie
• pixy
• puck
• sprite
• troll

Examples of goblin in a Sentence

dressed up the toddlers like goblins for Halloween

Recent Examples on the Web

From its protrusible jaw to its ability to hunt in every environment, the goblin shark exemplifies adaptation to the extremes. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024

Thousands of visitors showed up dressed as their favorite characters from all parts of pop culture — superheroes and supervillains, wizards, elves, goblins, animals, Ghostbusters, Jedi and Sith, who all are calling Kansas City home base from Friday, March 21, to Sunday, March 23. —Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2025

Kids consider costumes ranging from spooky goblins to little angels, and parents begin considering how to ration the candy collected after a long night of trick-or-treating. —Sen. Dan Hall, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025

This is your starting point, and where the brother from the story encountered the water goblin. —Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025

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

Rhymes for goblin

• hobgoblin

Kids Definition

goblin

noun

gob·​lin ˈgäb-lən 

: an ugly, evil, or mischievous elf