hobgoblin

noun

ˈhäb-ˌgäb-lən How to pronounce hobgoblin (audio)
Definition of hobgoblinnext
1
as in fairy
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, Puck is a hobgoblin who plays pranks such as spoiling milk and tripping old ladies

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in dread
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason the fear of success and the pressures that come with it can be more of a hobgoblin than the possibility of failure

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 hobgoblin Sailing teaches us that being an honorable competitor is more important than being a top competitor because while every race is there to lose, luck is the omnipresent hobgoblin. — Conor Mastromarco, Baltimore Sun, 18 Nov. 2024 Gleeson’s Puck is a malevolent hobgoblin who serves as the royal jester to King Auberon of Faerie. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 2 July 2024 Sightings of the mythical Nain Rouge, a red hobgoblin or dwarf that appears on the eve of tragedy, date to Detroit's origin — and locals have reclaimed the spirit with an annual march to scare the demon away, according to tradition. — Detroit Free Press, 24 Mar. 2024 As Ralph Waldo Emerson might have said in an essay of the same name (and did), a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds; Tommy seems to feel his brain shrinking along with his life. — John Anderson, WSJ, 9 Jan. 2024 See All Example Sentences for hobgoblin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobgoblin
  1. fairy
  2. dread
  3. elf
  4. ogre
  5. goblin
  6. terror
  7. dwarf
  8. bugbear
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
  • Cameron doesn't waste a second of that time, however, establishing characters (see above), introducing Newt, showing off the geography of the Hadley's Hope terraforming base, and building a creeping sense of dread.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 July 2026
  • Perfectly dark tone, a sinister mystery and a looming sense of total dread.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of dread
Noun
  • Reading allows children to live in a vibrant world, surrounded by fairies, elves and talking animals, transporting them to places where the impossible becomes real.
    — Michelle Kearney, The Conversation, 7 July 2026
  • Ferrell starred as Buddy in the 2003 Christmas classic, which focused on a human adopted by elves and raised as an elf in the North Pole until one day, as an adult, discovering his true identity.
    — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026
Definition of elf
Noun
  • Mascots, once an afterthought, are celebrities—Gritty, the beguiling ogre that represents Philadelphia’s hockey team, the Flyers, has significantly more Instagram followers than any of the team’s players.
    — Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
  • Zendaya, Marcello Hernandez, and Skyler Gisondo will portray the children of the central ogre couple.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026
Definition of ogre
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
  • Mayra Velasquez was charged with capital murder by terror threat on Friday, July 17, according to prison records seen by PEOPLE.
    — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
  • In line with the episode’s gothic theme, the women’s smiles, while somewhat genuine, carry a hint of terror.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 20 July 2026
Definition of terror
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
  • Cuba’s communist regime has historically been a bugbear for the US, particularly for Republicans.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 19 July 2026
  • The heat and humidity during our test week brought me to my other bugbear with the C-HR.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 23 June 2026
Definition of bugbear

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Cite this Entry

“Hobgoblin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobgoblin. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of hobgoblin for Spanish Speakers

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