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
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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
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Recent Examples of hobgoblin
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
Consistency is the hobgoblin of large language models.
—Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2023
The narrative unfolds communally around a table, with plenty of backtracking, retconning, and joking—and avoiding the small-minded hobgoblins of consistency and rules-lawyering.
—Ethan Gilsdorf, WIRED, 27 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for hobgoblin
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
Consistency is the hobgoblin of large language models.
—Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2023
The narrative unfolds communally around a table, with plenty of backtracking, retconning, and joking—and avoiding the small-minded hobgoblins of consistency and rules-lawyering.
—Ethan Gilsdorf, WIRED, 27 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for hobgoblin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobgoblin
Noun
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Hey, if Indiana can win a national championship, in part, thanks to NBA billionaire Mark Cuban playing benevolent NIL fairy godfather, then surely the DeVos family — owners of the Orlando Magic — could consider sprinkling a little of that pixie dust on UCF’s NIL program.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Jan. 2026
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The novel follows Viola Lockhart, the last living member of house Rosebourne — a family that inherited from its fairy ancestor the ability to magically infuse fragrance to achieve their aims.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Suffused with dread and bathed in reverb, the record captures two virtuosos at their most vulnerable.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
23 Jan. 2026
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The dread of blacklisting among cast and crew members who jump from job to job in the entertainment industry isn’t unique to The Cleaning Lady.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Sets like Hobbiton and Rivendell (a home for some elves) are breathtaking, the makeup and prosthetics of the orcs still terrifying, and the costumes ethereal and otherworldly.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Jan. 2026
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The film centers on Jonas, a troubled practitioner of magic who assembles a group of companions – including rogue Dagon, elf Nimue and assassin Solomon – to investigate a mysterious corruption spreading through a quiet village in the mystical Realm of Eldervin.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Here, a fairy tale-level ogre in Lorincz gets the benefit of the doubt from police because of her whiteness.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 Dec. 2025
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The show starts, as many anime romances do, with a childhood friendship, here between the chaotic witch-in-training Nico and the taciturn ogre Morihito.—
Kambole Campbell,
Vulture,
9 Dec. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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Within the broader terror campaign, the administration is focused on the most vulnerable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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Douglas doesn’t understand why his children are partial to their mother, his ex-wife, who was the source of so much instability and terror.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The ditch that’s up to 19 feet deep dwarfs the heavy machinery inside of it.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
26 Jan. 2026
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Selections available on the market include ‘Pride of Houston’, a medium to tall female shrub with a heavy fruit set, and ‘Schillings Dwarf’, a dwarf selection that grows only 3–4 feet tall and wide.—
Daniel Scott,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The question of how to fly with a cello is a bugbear among many string players.—
John Phipps,
New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2026
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European leaders this week also discussed the thorny issue of future funding for the country, which is a bugbear for Trump.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
10 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hobgoblin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobgoblin. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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