Hobgoblin (Noun)
Meaning 1
(folklore) a small grotesque supernatural creature that makes trouble for human beings.
Classification
Nouns denoting people.
Examples
- The villagers believed that the strange occurrences in the abandoned mine were the work of a mischievous hobgoblin.
- In folklore, the hobgoblin is often depicted as a small, ugly creature with a fondness for playing tricks on humans.
- According to legend, the hobgoblin was responsible for tangling the farmer's hair in the dead of night.
- The old cottage was said to be haunted by a hobgoblin that would knock over pots and pans and cause all sorts of trouble for the inhabitants.
- In medieval times, people believed that hobgoblins were responsible for spoiling food and causing crops to wither and die.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
An object of dread or apprehension; "Germany was always a bugbear for France"; "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds"--Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- Her chronic health problems were the hobgoblin of her golden years.
- Many experts considered artificial intelligence a hobgoblin of technological progress.
- Public speaking is the hobgoblin that still torments her today.
- She thinks social media has become a hobgoblin, as if being a fake personality matters more than living genuinely.
- Regret for having committed her writing style too exclusively to flashbacks would remain her life-long hobgoblin.