It defines the term as “a type of behavior which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.”
First seen on Twitter in 2009, “goblin mode” gained popularity in 2022 as people around the world emerged uncertainly from pandemic lockdowns.
I’ve never heard this before.
When I was younger I believed I was fluent in the English language–but not anymore.
Blimey, I’ve never heard it either. Where is this supposed to have become common??
Me neither.
I’ve also never heard of it.
Some other dictionary put “Gaslighting” as a new word which makes way more sense, news outlets now use that word. This would be like if the Word of the Year for 2007 was TISNF, remember that word?
Me neither.
Therefore, “goblin mode” is still micro-niche jargon, and NOT part of any nation’s Standard English.
I have decreed it so. 
I’ve heard it plenty this year, though I considered it far more about looks than behavior. It’s nearly always accompanied by a photo of someone looking kinda slovenly. I’ve also heard people just refer to themselves as a goblin.
I hear — or rather see, as it is primarily online slang — this phrase a lot.
It has a wikipedia page:
Apparently the term has been around since at least 2009 but went viral this year. If you use Twitter, TikTok, etc. you will be more likely to have encountered the term. If you are like me and you avoid most social media, and you especially avoid anything related to Kanye West, you are much less likely to be familiar with it.
I’m not surprised that I haven’t heard of it before.
Never heard it.
I’d never heard the term before, but I’m not at all surprised that there is one with that definition. In a world that harbours a Trump and a Musk and many others of such ilk, we need a term to describe the syndrome.
I herd it once in connection to Ye, but I thought that it was not a very noticeable thing, mostly a gaming term or what gamers end up after many months isolated.
Of note, there is the now infamous tweet that the Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee made in Support of the ones that could be the picture of the definition of Goblin Mode.
Of course, how could I have left out Ye – Trump, Musk, and “Ye” – prime exemplars of “Goblin mode”.
Add “goblin mode” to the rest of the linguistic indicators that I’m old and disconnected from the trend world. Aight?
(voice of agreement:) I’m sayin’.
I thought I was reasonably on top of things, but I’ve never heard this phrase – or if I have, it didn’t leave an impression. I’m on Facebook, Reddit, watch TikToks, YouTube shorts, read comments on those, etc., and it’s somehow eluded me. Of course, now that I know of it, watch the Baader-Meinhof effect take hold and by next week I will have seen it a dozen times.
That’s how it was for me with the term “Netflix & chill” and the music artist Lizzo.
One day: Not even close to on my radar
24 hours later: Ubiquitous
It’s very weird to be disconnected from the cutting edge.
But I know a “glizzy” is a hot dog. I’m not completely out of it! (Lizzo I saw open for Sleater-Kinney in 2015, so she’s been on my radar for awhile.)
I know, academically, this is not correct in 2022 … but I kinda discount Internet fame as not being actually famous (as opposed to being famous for movies, television, pre-Internet music distribution channels, novels, print newspapers & magazines, etc.).
Same goes for words popularized on social media, but rarely spoken in meatspace by people over 50. I still kinda feel like that stuff doesn’t really transcend out of the social media universe (until it does).
When new Dancing With The Stars seasons come out these days, I usually only know two or three of the ‘stars’ instantly. I usually look up the rest out of curiosity. There are a healthy number of people who gained sufficient profile for a DWTS appearance strictly based on YouTube fame. Not “jumped from YouTube to TV” or “started a music career on YouTube and now is heard on terrestrial radio”. I mean “People famously ONLY for what they do on YouTube”.
The mind reels. I’ve not caught up.
Well, my kids have no idea what “goblin mode” is, but they may be a bit young for it (they’re elementary school–they’ve been good for other slang, though.) So I guess you have to be somewhere in between in age.
There are people who have tons of fans and make TONS of money doing nothing but Youtube videos. I subscribe to a few channels that entertain me, and I’m certain that those people don’t have day jobs.
