hobgoblin
Folklore's little troublemaker
A hobgoblin is a mischievous sprite or goblin from folklore—not malevolent, but fond of pranks and minor trouble.
The word extends to any source of fear or anxiety, especially an imaginary or exaggerated one: the hobgoblin of inflation, Don't let that hobgoblin keep you up at night.
Emerson's famous line about "a foolish consistency" being "the hobgoblin of little minds" uses this figurative sense.
Minor mischief-making devil
- spriteTiny magical creature
- brownieDense chocolate baked square
- puckHockey's rubber projectile
- boggartTroublesome household spirit
gremlin · kobold · leprechaun · pixie · gnome · elf · fairy · troll
Imaginary childhood terror
- bugbearPersistent cause of anxiety
- bugabooSource of exaggerated fear
- specterGhostly threatening presence
- phantomInsubstantial apparition
nightmare · terror · dread · fright · haunt · menace · monster · fiend
Persistent mental attachment
- bugbearPersistent cause of anxiety
- preoccupationAbsorbing mental focus
- worryTroubled mental state
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
hang-up · pet peeve · bête noire · concern · paranoia · irrational fear
Someone who plays tricks
- jesterRoyal household comedian
- rogueDishonest or uncontrolled agent
- rascalLovable troublemaker
- scampMischievous young person
joker · knave · scoundrel · mischief-maker · schemer · hoaxer · fool · harlequin
Soul, mood, or liquor
- poltergeistDisruptive supernatural entity
- wraithSpectral apparition of someone
- shadeDarkness from blocked light
- revenantReturned from death
banshee · phantasm · haunting · otherworldly · paranormal · spectral · ethereal · uncanny
Playful trick on someone
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
- impishPlayfully mischievous in manner
- roguishMischievously charming
- anticsAbsurd, attention-seeking behavior
shenanigans · jape · jest · meddling · nuisance · capricious · playful · naughty
Traditional narrative passed down
- legendUnverified traditional tale
- fableMoral tale with animals
- mythTraditional explanatory tale
- loreTraditional knowledge transmitted orally
superstition · fairytale · enchantment · fantasy · fae · otherworld · ballad · oral tradition
imp
Minor mischief-making devil
boggart · gremlin · kobold · leprechaun · pixie · gnome · elf · fairy · troll · changeling
bogeyman
Imaginary childhood terror
- bugbearPersistent cause of anxiety
- bugabooSource of exaggerated fear
- specterGhostly threatening presence
phantom · nightmare · terror · dread · fright · haunt · menace · monster · fiend · apparition
fixation
Persistent mental attachment
- bugbearPersistent cause of anxiety
- preoccupationAbsorbing mental focus
- worryTroubled mental state
anxiety · hang-up · pet peeve · bête noire · concern · paranoia · irrational fear
prankster
Someone who plays tricks
scamp · joker · knave · scoundrel · mischief-maker · schemer · hoaxer · fool · harlequin · coyote
spirit
Soul, mood, or liquor
- poltergeistDisruptive supernatural entity
- wraithSpectral apparition of someone
- shadeDarkness from blocked light
revenant · banshee · phantasm · haunting · otherworldly · paranormal · spectral · ethereal · uncanny · eerie
prank
Playful trick on someone
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
- impishPlayfully mischievous in manner
- roguishMischievously charming
antics · shenanigans · jape · jest · meddling · nuisance · capricious · playful · naughty · sly
folktale
Traditional narrative passed down
lore · superstition · fairytale · enchantment · fantasy · fae · otherworld · ballad · oral tradition · cautionary tale
- mythical creaturesdragon, dragons, vampire, vampires, werewolf
- Faeriesfairy, fairies, fae, faerie, fey
- Fairiesfairies, faeries, fairy queen, fairy dust, fairy wings
- Fairy Tale Creaturesfairy, witch, wizard, giant, dwarf
- fantasy raceself, elves, dwarf, dwarves, orc
- Little Folkgnome, gnomes, dwarf, dwarfs, elf
hobgoblinguardian angel
Protective spirit assigned individually
fairy godmother · good fairy · angel · protective spirit · house spirit