hobgoblins

noun

plural of hobgoblin
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 hobgoblins In another fates-or-hobgoblins moment, a discombobulated Washington had started a war. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobgoblins
  1. elves
  2. dreads
  3. fairies
  4. terrors
  5. goblins
  6. ogres
  7. dwarfs
  8. spirits
Noun
  • In this way, just like the elves, the aes sidhe were very clearly associated with the divine.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
  • For the dessert lover, this Advent calendar is filled with gourmet shortbread cookies and a decorative calendar showcasing the Walker’s shortbread elves inside.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of elves
Noun
  • Royals, who has typically sported some of the team’s most stylish hair, cut his dreads last week.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2026
  • He's described by officials as a Black male in his late teens with a medium-large build and thick dreads.
    — Nick Lentz, CBS News, 15 June 2026
Definition of dreads
Noun
  • Saturday, utilizes 56,000 square feet of indoor space to host more than 200 vendors, sword-fighting, costume contests, live musicians, mermaids, fairies and photo ops.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The countless repetitions give you the most beautiful art form where swans glide, fairies dance and every year a giant nutcracker appears.
    — Chrissie Leong, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of fairies
Noun
  • At scale, migrants and their descendants recreate the conditions, and terrors, of their broken homelands.
    — Claudia Boyd-Barrett, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Interestingly enough, facing the terrors of the world head-on is something that Danny mentions to Alice, too.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of terrors
Noun
  • From glittering ghosts, ghastly goblins and wicked witches to wily warlocks, fashion can inspire any Halloween transformation.
    — Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Many would rather experience nightstalkers, goblins and witches that can't escape the theater or TV screen, or zombies and werewolves that won't lunge off the pages of a book.
    — Ayesha Rascoe, NPR, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of goblins
Noun
  • Ella is a young woman cursed to obey all instructions whose quest for self-determination also turns her into an advocate for the kingdom’s oppressed elves and ogres.
    — Chris Bellamy, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026
  • People are turned into wolves, there are ogres and undead creatures of the sea who lure others to their demise.
    — Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026
Definition of ogres
Noun
  • As far as fairytales go, dwarfs can be Bashful, Sleepy, Grumpy or Dopey.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Watching all ten members sing at once is funny the way the seven dwarves all sleeping in their little beds next to each other is funny.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of dwarfs
Noun
  • The week will start dry and warmer than normal, but rain chances return Tuesday and could dampen Halloween spirits, with a 40% chance of rain Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
  • As the Commander of the crew, my main responsibilities were to make sure the crew was safe, in good health and spirits, getting along well and on top of their work.
    — Michaela Musilova, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of spirits

Browse Nearby Words

hobgoblin
hobgoblins
hobnob
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Cite this Entry

“Hobgoblins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobgoblins. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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