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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Recent Examples of hobgoblin
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.
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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
Powell & Co are now eyeing consumer service prices as the latest hobgoblin to hound.
—Gary Drenik, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for hobgoblin 
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
Powell & Co are now eyeing consumer service prices as the latest hobgoblin to hound.
—Gary Drenik, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for hobgoblin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobgoblin
Noun
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Mondays used to fill many of us with dread at the thought of returning to a rigid office environment.Steve Osler, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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New developments in generative AI have sparked existential dread in many film professionals, who fear that their jobs could someday be rendered obsolete.Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Santa’s elves are the ones who more closely resemble humans in Rare Exports.Katie Rife, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024
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Big Brother can stuff those elf costumes into storage for the foreseeable future.Rebecca Iannucci, TVLine, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Los Angeles Haunted Hayride — the sprawling attraction that packs a spooky patch of Griffith Park with ghouls, goblins and eerie attractions — has never closed for a private party.Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024
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Creepy Crawly Halloween Two- and four-legged little ghouls, goblins and superheroes will descend on downtown Campbell on Oct. 27 for some scary good fun and trick-or-treating.Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Along with the popular story about the lovable ogre, Steig also wrote Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Abel's Island and Doctor De Soto.Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 1 Aug. 2024
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Victoria showcased her Halloween spirit with a scary green ogre mask that included several large moles and a gummy smile.Rachel Flynn, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
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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Another bugbear on Teams can come if you’ve been invited to a pre-arranged meeting, or left a meeting partway through, but still receive notifications every time a message is typed into the chat box of the ongoing meeting.Chris Stokel-Walker, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2020
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Those claims play into concerns about government overreach, a common right-wing bugbear.Ben Guarino, Scientific American, 11 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Riley's sister Lauren Phillips talked about Riley's terror during her final moments.Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
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The suit details Iran's embrace of various terror groups dedicated to the destruction of Israel.Louis Casiano, Fox News, 19 Nov. 2024
Noun
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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
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There are knights with a strong sense of chivalry, and dueling beliefs in faeries and Jesus Christ, and a deep passion for questing.Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Hobgoblin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobgoblin. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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