gremlin

[grem-lin]

noun

1. a mischievous invisible being, said by airplane pilots in World War II to cause engine trouble and mechanical difficulties.

2. any cause of trouble, difficulties, etc., especially in a mechanical, electrical, computer, or other system.

   A loose wire was the gremlin that blew out the lights.

gremlin

/ ˈɡrɛmlɪn /

noun

1. an imaginary imp jokingly said to be responsible for malfunctions in machinery

2. any mischievous troublemaker

Word History and Origins

Origin of gremlin¹

First recorded in 1925–30; of obscure origin; in its earliest attested use, an RAF term for a low-ranking officer or enlisted man assigned the most onerous duties; later development perhaps affected by phonetic resemblance to goblin

Word History and Origins

Origin of gremlin¹

C20: perhaps a corruption of _goblin

Synonym Study

See goblin.

Example Sentences

I turned into a little party gremlin sheltering in place, you know?

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I scoop it up with Breton crackers, usually while standing at the fridge like a little gremlin.

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Now I have my VTuber model and can be a little gremlin in my pajamas and no one has to know because Monarch is always perfect.”

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As mechanized as a race — or a movie — can feel, success or failure hinge on the human element, the hero battling the gremlins in the machine.

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Johnson knew that when he made his return, that song, and a chorus line of mental gremlins, would be waiting.

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Related Words

• goblin