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Definition of "hobgoblin" []

  • An ugly, mischievous elf or goblin. (noun)
  • An object or a source of fear, dread, or harassment; a bugbear: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds” ( Ralph Waldo Emerson). (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "hobgoblin" in a sentence
  • "Bradford: But it's meaning is subject to diverse interpretations and when asked where this hobgoblin has been actually applied we are told Iraq … Iraq … Iraq … If you are looking for broader applications save yourself the time and effort."
  • "But it's meaning is subject to diverse interpretations and when asked where this hobgoblin has been actually applied we are told Iraq … Iraq … Iraq … If you are looking for broader applications save yourself the time and effort."
  • "I don't think you have a good grasp of either Singer's or the Bible's moral philosophy -- or of what the "hobgoblin" quote meant, for that matter."