Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

gremlin

Noun

/ˈɡrɛm.lɪn/

Definition

A mischievous creature imagined to cause problems or malfunctions, especially in machinery.

Examples

The airplane was experiencing issues, and everyone joked that a gremlin was to blame.
In the movie, the gremlins cause chaos in the small town.
He thought he had a gremlin in his computer when it started crashing unexpectedly.

Meaning

Gremlins are often described as little, playful figures that are blamed for technical malfunctions and disruptions, particularly in aviation and engineering.