goblin

American  

[gob-lin] / ˈgɒb lɪn /

noun

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

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goblin British  

/ ˈɡɒblɪn /

noun

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

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Synonym Usage

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”; see kobold

Explanation

In fairy tales, goblins are mischievous, magical creatures. While fairies and gnomes are often portrayed as kind, goblins are usually malicious troublemakers. In the 1500s, a goblin was defined as "a mischievous and ugly fairy" or "a devil." Since then some fictional goblins have been slightly less menacing than that original definition suggests, but these mean little creatures are almost never the heroes of the stories in which they appear. In the Harry Potter books, dangerous goblins control the wizard banks, and the Spiderman films include several malevolent goblins among their antagonists.

Example Sentences

Goblin mentions became even more commonplace with a new model released in March.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

A decade after Bowie went back to the stars, however, one of his most resilient guises has proven to be Jareth, the Goblin King at the heart of the 1986 cult favorite “Labyrinth.”

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026

And he’s had prior success creating outlandish villains on Broadway with the Grinch and, from “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” Norman Osborn/Green Goblin.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2026

Goblin Tools was built by Belgian software engineer Bram De Buyser, who says it is a sort of ode to his neurodivergent friends.

From BBC • May 29, 2024

He saw the Colonel, went home for his boots and spurs, then took out Goblin and saddled him.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

Related Words

• gnome
• gremlin