as in fairy
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers elves are often portrayed as rather mischievous

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of elf Michelle Obama couldn’t make it, but part-time-painter George W. Bush had space in his diary (like all mischievous elves straight after Christmas), and the poor woman behind BFG Barron missed the whole event. Raven Smith, Vogue, 22 Jan. 2025 Featuring humans, elves, orcs and other fantastical creatures engaging in wars, treasure hunts and campaigns, the D&D game, one of Hasbro’s key franchise brands hailing from Wizards of the Coast, is overseen by a host, known as the Dungeon Master, and employs a signature multisided dice. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2025 The film, directed by Jon Favreau and written by David Berenbaum, follows Ferrell as Buddy, a human raised as an elf in Santa’s workshop who returns to New York City to meet his biological father, played by the late James Caan. Dave Quinn, People.com, 28 Jan. 2025 Past racial tension between elves and humans is all but ignored in the plot. Erik Kain, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for elf
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elf
Noun
  • Thousands of visitors showed up dressed as their favorite characters from all parts of pop culture — superheroes and supervillains, wizards, elves, goblins, animals, Ghostbusters, Jedi and Sith, who all are calling Kansas City home base from Friday, March 21, to Sunday, March 23.
    Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Kids consider costumes ranging from spooky goblins to little angels, and parents begin considering how to ration the candy collected after a long night of trick-or-treating.
    Sen. Dan Hall, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Emperor tamarins are dwarf monkeys with whiskers that resemble a white moustache.
    Robert Higgs, cleveland, 1 Feb. 2023
  • The dwarf variety grows to be about 5 to 7 feet, ideal for a small garden or accent in a room with limited space.
    Bryce Jones, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Jan. 2023
Noun
  • For instance, people used to hang iron on their doors at night to keep faeries and demons out of their homes (talismans) and a knock on the door in the middle of the night was to be ignored, for surely some evil spirit was lurking outside.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
  • The Unseelie Court is the bastion of malevolent faeries who harm humans for their amusement or to exact revenge.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Elf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elf. Accessed 11 May. 2025.

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