1
as in fairy
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers
in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, Puck is a hobgoblin who plays pranks such as spoiling milk and tripping old ladies
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2
as in dread
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
the fear of success and the pressures that come with it can be more of a hobgoblin than the possibility of failure
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hobgoblin
Consistency is the hobgoblin of large language models.
—
Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2023
While the community might celebrate the hobgoblin’s induction into Detroit culture, Detroiters must always keep watch for when the Nain Rouge returns and provokes disaster.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 8 Aug. 2023
The narrative unfolds communally around a table, with plenty of backtracking, retconning, and joking—and avoiding the small-minded hobgoblins of consistency and rules-lawyering.
—Ethan Gilsdorf, WIRED, 27 June 2023
Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.
—John Pearley Huffman, Car and Driver, 4 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for hobgoblin
Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2023
While the community might celebrate the hobgoblin’s induction into Detroit culture, Detroiters must always keep watch for when the Nain Rouge returns and provokes disaster.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 8 Aug. 2023
The narrative unfolds communally around a table, with plenty of backtracking, retconning, and joking—and avoiding the small-minded hobgoblins of consistency and rules-lawyering.
—Ethan Gilsdorf, WIRED, 27 June 2023
Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.
—John Pearley Huffman, Car and Driver, 4 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for hobgoblin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobgoblin
Noun
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Filming their every outspoken thought and conversation whether in the newsroom, at home, on the street or in cars driving around frigid Moscow, the director channels the growing sense of dread as the government crackdown accelerates and the war nears.—
Jordan Mintzer,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Feb. 2025
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Read More: Scientists Debate Why Childbirth is So Brutal Epidural Risks and Research Unfortunately, myths and out-of-date information continue to inspire fear and dread of the procedure.—
Stephen C. George,
Discover Magazine,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Featuring humans, elves, orcs and other fantastical creatures engaging in wars, treasure hunts and campaigns, the D&D game, one of Hasbro’s key franchise brands hailing from Wizards of the Coast, is overseen by a host, known as the Dungeon Master, and employs a signature multisided dice.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2025
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Prince on the Shelf A young Prince Harry dressed up as a red and green elf to take part in his school's nativity play.—
Stephanie Petit,
People.com,
25 Dec. 2024
Noun
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That often means providing upgrades of low level monsters rather than just throwing more goblins at a problem.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
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My dad’s Welsh and among my happiest memories of him are going through Brian Froud’s books about fairies, goblins and trolls.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The queue for the Shrek ride winds through the ogre's cottage and then the swamp.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
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The Austin Powers star reflected on voicing everyone's favorite ogre in an interview with the Good One podcast — and detailed how the filmmakers at DreamWorks Animation didn't want to fess up about his late Saturday Night Live costar, Chris Farley, being the first choice for the character.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
6 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Emperor tamarins are dwarf monkeys with whiskers that resemble a white moustache.—
Robert Higgs,
cleveland,
1 Feb. 2023
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The dwarf variety grows to be about 5 to 7 feet, ideal for a small garden or accent in a room with limited space.—
Bryce Jones,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Jan. 2023
Noun
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The fiscal policy has proved to be a persistent political bugbear for Berlin, with arguments between parties over the extent to which the debt brake ensures responsible spending, or limits growth and investment.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2025
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To attribute the corrosion of institutional trust to such bugbears as relativism or postmodernism is to ignore explanations that are both more concrete and more parsimonious.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
The New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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On January 1, revelers rang in the new year to tragedy when a terror attack claimed 15 lives and left 57 injured.—
Harriet Shepherd,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 2025
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Celebrated around the world, Mardi Gras holds a special meaning for the citizens of New Orleans, especially after the terror attack on the city’s famed Bourbon Street on New Year’s Eve.—
Sam Gillette,
People.com,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The Unseelie Court is the bastion of malevolent faeries who harm humans for their amusement or to exact revenge.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
27 Nov. 2024
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That’s in addition to the strange creatures that roam the countryside such as faeries and dragon.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes,
6 Nov. 2024
Articles Related to hobgoblin
Cite this Entry
“Hobgoblin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobgoblin. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
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