Goblin Mode

"Goblin mode" is a term on social media used to refer to a state of unapologetic self-indulgence, laziness or greed.

What does Goblin Mode mean?

The term “goblin mode” is often used on social media humorously, and is meant to suggest that someone has stopped caring what other people think and are just focusing on self-indulgence. Being in “goblin mode” can look like eating junk food in front of the TV all day in nothing but dirty sweatpants surrounded by mess. 

Where did the term Goblin Mode come from?

“Goblin Mode” was named Oxford’s Word of the Year in 2022 to capture the general mood of the moment. The term first appeared on Twitter in 2009 but rose to prominence in the spring of 2022 when a satirical tweet went viral claiming that rapper Kanye West broke up with actress Julia Fox because he didn’t like when she “went goblin mode”.