elf

noun

ˈelf How to pronounce elf (audio)
Definition of elfnext
as in fairy
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers elves are often portrayed as rather mischievous

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 elf The new version will still have the traditional arrow counting down the days to the holiday but also will include moving elves who are helping prepare things for Christmas. — Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 30 May 2026 There’s also caviar and cookies and Christmas trees and Housewives and Bravolebrities, all surrounded by twink elves in Christmas G-strings. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 May 2026 The company behind that trio of elves, some of the most iconic mascots in pop culture, is the same corporation that put breakfast on the table in the first place. — Heather Bushman, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026 The puckish figure draws heavily on Nordic fairy tales, including stories of elves. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elf
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elf
  1. fairy
  2. dwarf
  3. goblin
  4. faerie
Noun
  • Decapitated, the fairy of Smoking with Oneself (2021–26) puffs a cigarette from the gaping red maw of her throat.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026
  • The farm is also holding a Fairy Festival on July 18 and 19 featuring scavenger hunts, fairy stories and other activities in addition to the usual hayrides, petting farm and pony rides.
    — Janet Kusterer, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2026
Definition of fairy
Noun
  • This is why a major question in the field is whether or not rocky planet atmospheres can even survive at all around M dwarfs.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 16 July 2026
  • Adults must crawl through doorways, buildings look like dollhouses and dwarf goats and donkeys hunker in the animal section.
    — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 13 July 2026
Definition of dwarf
Noun
  • 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
  • Follow the babe with the power into Jim Henson’s gloriously weird fantasy wonderland, where goblins sing, doors argue, and David Bowie’s Goblin King serves enough glam-rock charisma to power an entire kingdom.
    — Arushi Jacob, Variety, 24 June 2026
Definition of goblin
Noun
  • Maeve learns that the legends she was raised on — stories of faeries, kelpies and seelies — are actually true.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
  • The plays are set in locations as varied as courts, forests, battlefields, and even the realm of faerie.
    — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Definition of faerie

Browse Nearby Words

eleventh hours
elf
elfin
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Elf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elf. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on elf

Nglish: Translation of elf for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about elf

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