This is the meaning behind goblin mode and how to tell if you are one

The meaning of goblin mode and what it is to be a goblin has drastically changed since the pandemic. It’s less seasonal depression and more “we’re all fucked so let’s be goblins.” People are now grosser than ever before and some might even say they’re unhinged. Goblin mode isn’t an identity though, it’s a state of mind. So here’s what it means to be living in goblin mode and how to tell if you are, in fact, a goblin.

What is the meaning of goblin mode?

The publisher of Oxford English Dictionary put its 2022 word of the year up for a public vote and goblin mode stormed it. Oxford defines the goblin mode meaning as: “A type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.”

The term embraces everything we do in the comfort of our own homes that makes us a goblin. Spending the day in bed, watching endless Come Dine With Me and scrolling through social media. Eating enough crisps to make yourself sick and not to mention leaving the house in trackies, Crocs and a hoodie to go and buy one singular Diet Coke from the Tesco Express round the corner. It’s all about the aesthetic, or the complete lack of. Goblins don’t care about anything especially what they look like to other people.

Goblin mode is waking up at 2am, walking into the kitchen and making pesto pasta whilst wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt and Crocs. It’s the opposite of trying to better yourself, yes that was meant to sound depressing.

As the pandemic seems endless, goblin mode has only gained in strength and people feel cheated by the system. At home there’s no pressure to be clean, why put makeup on and dress up nicely if you’re not out anywhere? We all also gained some kind of sense of impending doom telling us we’re all fucked so that only made the goblins go harder.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• All the niche moments from GCSE science that altered your brain chemistry

• The horrendous ‘Mexican pancake’ trend is going viral on TikTok and this is the vile meaning behind it

• You’ve seen it all over Twitter, but how do you actually create an AI version of yourself?

Fly picture in feature image from Chris Curry on Unsplash.