hobgoblin

1 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 brownie, dwarf, elf, faerie (also faery), fay, gnome, goblin, gremlin, fairy, kobold, leprechaun, pixie (also pixy), puck, sprite, trollRelated Words little people; kelpie, nixie; changeling; imp; banshee, ghoul, hag, ogre

2 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 bête noire, black beast, bugaboo, bugbear, dread, bogey, ogreRelated Words apparition, ghost, phantasm (also fantasm), phantom, poltergeist, shade, specter (or spectre), spirit, spook, wraith; banshee, bogeyman (also bogyman), demon (or daemon), devil, fiend, ghoul, imp, incubus; fright, horrible, horror, monster, monstrosity, terror; bane, curse, enemy, plague, scourge, torment; abomination, anathema