1
as in elves
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 dreads
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 Synonyms for hobgoblins
Noun
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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.
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At the end of 2005-2006, a whole host of elves got arrested and were sent to prison.
Noun
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He's described by officials as a Black male in his late teens with a medium-large build and thick dreads.
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Mirror images except for the fact that Jelani has his hair in dreads, while Ari goes with the more retro-look afro.
Noun
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Lawn Ornaments Too many lawn ornaments, such as gnomes, fairies, dolls, or flamingos, read as tacky to Emily Roose, the founder of Emily Roose Interiors.
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And creatures — fairies, a faun, the unforgettable Pale Man, with eyes in the palms of his hands — reveal a world of deeper and darker enchantment.
Noun
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The year since has been one of night-terrors and grief for the families who lost loved ones.
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Coming later this year, Bass X Macina is set in a lawless Steampunk West overrun by brutal outlaws, machines and supernatural terrors, while Sparks of Tomorrow follows how technological progress evolved along a different path shaped by steam power blankets Kyoto in smoke.
Noun
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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.
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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.
Noun
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People are turned into wolves, there are ogres and undead creatures of the sea who lure others to their demise.
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In recent weeks, social media users, especially on X, have been noticing increasing references to goblins, along with other fantasy creatures such as gremlins, ogres and trolls in ChatGPT’s answers to user queries.
Noun
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As virality goes, this is not a big number, but the passion that the account has aroused dwarfs its reach.
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Major props to the dwarfs who saw this as a convenient way to score help in the cleaning department.
Noun
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Koval Distillery, Chicago’s first legal post-Prohibition distillery, produces spirits as artful as its bottle designs and Vin312 Winery has grown from its owner’s garage into a full-fledged tasting room.
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The release continues Tamworth’s tradition of creating spirits inspired by the natural world around its rural New Hampshire home.
Cite this Entry
“Hobgoblins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobgoblins. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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