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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hobgoblin
Consistency is the hobgoblin of large language models.
—
Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2023
While the community might celebrate the hobgoblin’s induction into Detroit culture, Detroiters must always keep watch for when the Nain Rouge returns and provokes disaster.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 8 Aug. 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
Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.
—John Pearley Huffman, Car and Driver, 4 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for hobgoblin
Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2023
While the community might celebrate the hobgoblin’s induction into Detroit culture, Detroiters must always keep watch for when the Nain Rouge returns and provokes disaster.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 8 Aug. 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
Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.
—John Pearley Huffman, Car and Driver, 4 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for hobgoblin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobgoblin
Noun
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Our familiar route turned into an obstacle course of dread, and every step toward the school building sent him deeper into a panicked spiral.—
Elizabeth Austin,
Time,
26 Mar. 2025
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Once the innie enters the room, it is forced to engage in an activity which coincides with things Gemma fears (going to the dentist, airplane turbulence) or dreads (writing thank-you cards).—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Perhaps to offset her severe personality, the ride adds a new character, a house elf named Higgledy.—
Todd Anderson,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
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Before 10 Things, the young actor gained attention as Bernard, the sarcastic head elf in The Santa Clause (1994).—
Danny Horn,
EW.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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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
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This is your starting point, and where the brother from the story encountered the water goblin.—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Watch Shrek 2 on Peacock Shrek the Third (2007) Three years later, Shrek the Third continued the saga, with the beloved ogre facing the unexpected responsibility of becoming king when King Harold falls ill.—
Jane LaCroix,
People.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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The ogre is faster than the gnome, slower than the unicorn, and was delayed arguing with a troll at a toll bridge.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Emperor tamarins are dwarf monkeys with whiskers that resemble a white moustache.—
Robert Higgs,
cleveland,
1 Feb. 2023
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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
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One of Trump’s biggest bugbears is the U.S. trade deficits with a number of key trading partners, including Canada and the EU.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2025
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The fiscal policy has proved to be a persistent political bugbear for Berlin, with arguments between parties over the extent to which the debt brake ensures responsible spending, or limits growth and investment.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The report was commissioned after the deadly New Year's Day terror attack on Bourbon Street when a man intentionally drove a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers.—
Kierra Frazier,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2025
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The suspect is now facing charges of assault with bodily injury with a previous conviction, injury to the elderly, continuous violence against family, resisting arrest and terror threat of family, McLennan County Jail records seen by PEOPLE show.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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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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That’s in addition to the strange creatures that roam the countryside such as faeries and dragon.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes,
6 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Hobgoblin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobgoblin. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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