goblin mode
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of goblin mode
First recorded in 2005–10
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s like, wait, why not go full goblin mode?
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
It is the fourth consecutive year that the public have played a part in picking Oxford's word of the year, after an inaugural public vote in 2022 saw "goblin mode" prevail.
From Barron's ● Dec. 1, 2025
Last year's Oxford word of the year was "goblin mode", another slang term describing "unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy" behaviour.
From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2023
Filmmaker, activist and all-around mensch Michael Moore may dress like he's in goblin mode, but is decidedly not.
From Salon ● Dec. 25, 2022
Despite being relatively unknown offline, goblin mode was the overwhelming favorite, winning 93% of the more than 340,000 votes cast.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 5, 2022
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.