goblin

American

[gob-lin] / ˈgɒb lɪn /

noun

a grotesque sprite or elf that is mischievous or malicious toward people.

goblin British

/ ˈɡɒblɪn /

noun

(in folklore) a small grotesque supernatural creature, regarded as malevolent towards human beings

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

Goblin, gnome, gremlin refer to supernatural beings thought to be malevolent to people. Goblins are demons of any size, usually in human or animal form, that are supposed to assail, afflict, and even torture human beings: “Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damn'd, …” (Shakespeare, Hamlet I, iv ). Gnomes are small beings, like ugly little old men, who live in the earth, guarding mines, treasures, etc. They are mysteriously malevolent and terrify human beings by causing dreadful mishaps to occur. Gremlins are thought to disrupt machinery and are active in modern folklore.

Etymology

Origin of goblin

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English gobelin, from Middle French, from Middle High German kobold “goblin”; kobold

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023