The Oxford Dictionary announced “goblin mode” as their word of the year for 2022. Oxford defines it as “a type of behavior which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.”

Goblin mode has seen a rapid rise in usage as more people realize that they have delved into the hole. Armed with a new recognition of the condition, goblin activities are on the rise.

A moment only befitting for people in the midst of their goblin mode: rummaging through your fridge to stuff your mouth with a slice of ham and cheese, then chasing it down with a hefty lump of bread in place of a formally crafted sandwich.

These moments are growing in popularity as more people share their goblin modes. To others, these moments can seem strange, objectively inefficient and even disgusting. However, to the goblin they are natural; they happen without thought, only mindless dedication to the mode of being. It is the goblin controlling their mind, grabbing the reins and leading them into a transcendent state of goblin nirvana.

Furthermore, goblin mode breaks free from its definition’s cage, spilling into a variety of contexts to serve as an excuse for out-of-pocket behavior. 

One Twitter user reports a sighting of their significant other entering goblin mode. 

“[He grabbed] one small potato and [ate] it in the dark in the living room with his hands, without condiments.” 

Knowing no boundaries, the infectious goblin mode continues to spread globally with reports showing it has even reached China.

One Chinese internet user details the goblin-like trance that now governs their life.

“It’s 4 a.m., I’m scrolling through Reddit, drinking Diet Coke first thing in the morning and having pasta as a snack.”

However, goblin mode is more than just an occasional lapse in normality, rather it is the norm. Within each of us is that goblin sentiment trying to take over, and sometimes one may let themselves go and enter goblin mode.