as in elf
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers
the metal cobalt gets its name from the medieval Germanic belief that its appearance in silver ore was the handiwork of mischievous, thieving kobolds
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Recent Examples of kobold
But certain kobolds known as drakes may appear as fiery dragons, which can fly through the air like stripes in the sky.
—
Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Monster Vault allows the designers to take a crack at some classic creatures like kobolds, goblins, demons and dragons.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
This element takes its name from the German word kobelt, signifying kobolds—gnomes and goblins thought to haunt mines.
—Sanjana Curtis, Scientific American, 4 July 2023
The word cobalt comes from the German word kobold, meaning goblin.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 18 Aug. 2022
Otherworldly cities modeled on real ones have been a standby of fantasy, from Superman’s Metropolis through China Miéville’s Un Lun Dun to Michael Swanwick’s Babel, with its haints and kobolds, ethnic politics and human ward-heelers.
—Tom Shippey, WSJ, 16 Mar. 2018
Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Monster Vault allows the designers to take a crack at some classic creatures like kobolds, goblins, demons and dragons.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
This element takes its name from the German word kobelt, signifying kobolds—gnomes and goblins thought to haunt mines.
—Sanjana Curtis, Scientific American, 4 July 2023
The word cobalt comes from the German word kobold, meaning goblin.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 18 Aug. 2022
Otherworldly cities modeled on real ones have been a standby of fantasy, from Superman’s Metropolis through China Miéville’s Un Lun Dun to Michael Swanwick’s Babel, with its haints and kobolds, ethnic politics and human ward-heelers.
—Tom Shippey, WSJ, 16 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kobold
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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Had my mother arranged these dragons to meet the fairy on our path?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
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Creative touches have been placed throughout, so visitors will want to keep an eye out for the fairy gardens and fairy homes under various plants.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Noun
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OpenAI leaned into the curious habit, choosing to highlight the goblin-forbidding prompt in a tweet.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
30 Apr. 2026
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The maker of ChatGPT has an explanation for all the goblin talk.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Select dwarf or short varieties that thrive in the confines of a large container, at least 14 inches wide.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 May 2026
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Plant lavender in well-draining terracotta pots and consider dwarf varieties like ‘Thumbelina Leigh’ and ‘Munstead’ for smaller pots.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kobold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kobold. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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