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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Children must abide by the rules for keeping the elves at home.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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The elves were then given away, and handfuls have been on display in various locations in the following decades.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The series centers around Timmy Turner, a miserable 10-year-old whose life improves significantly after he is given two fairy godparents named Wanda and Cosmo.—
Will Harris,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Jan. 2026
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The toy projects an AI hologram companion that resembles a dragon or fairy.—
Queenie Wong,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
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On set, however, managing scenes that required baby Toby to cry was a delicate process – one made possible by actress Shari Weiser, who controlled the goblin Hoggle from inside a suit.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
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The kallikantzaroi are a group of blind, black goblins who live underground during most of the year sawing at the world tree – a motif throughout various folklores that connects the heavens to the Earth.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
20 Dec. 2025
Noun
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La Selva always had caymans, but only the less aggressive and less territorial dwarf and white species.—
Noah Lederman,
Robb Report,
3 Jan. 2026
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Recently, the Hubble Space Telescope captured an image of a dwarf galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
31 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kobold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kobold. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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