hobgoblin

[hob-gob-lin]

noun

1. something causing superstitious fear; a bogy.

2. a mischievous goblin.

3. Hobgoblin. Puck.

hobgoblin

/ ˌhɒbˈɡɒblɪn /

noun

1. an evil or mischievous goblin

2. a bogey; bugbear

Word History and Origins

Origin of hobgoblin¹

First recorded in 1520–30; hob ² + goblin

Word History and Origins

Origin of hobgoblin¹

C16: from _hob ² + _goblin

Example Sentences

He has taken Emerson’s nostrum about consistency being “the hobgoblin of little minds” to its acid-flashback extreme: no consistency, no mind to speak of, but one hell of a hobgoblin.

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But many people also "consider" the Earth to be flat or believe Ernst is a hobgoblin in a lady suit.

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There’s a catch: Every day, a blood offering, like a slice of liver, must be left for the Redcaps, the hungry, hooded hobgoblins who call the property home.

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It is in part because of these abilities that she became a hobgoblin of the right - a villain whose name or imagine headlined countless fundraising pitches and political adverts.

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I’m fine with that; a foolish adherence to canon is the hobgoblin of small minds.

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