leprechaun

noun

lep·​re·​chaun ˈle-prə-ˌkän 

-ˌkȯn

: a mischievous elf (see elf sense 1) of Irish folklore usually believed to reveal the hiding place of treasure if caught

leprechaunish

ˈle-prə-ˌkä-nish 

-ˌkȯ-

adjective

Synonyms

• fairy
• elf
• goblin
• faery
• dwarf
• faerie

Examples of leprechaun in a Sentence

the story that if you follow a rainbow to its end, you'll find a leprechaun's pot of gold

Recent Examples on the Web

Featuring a hostile-looking leprechaun with both fists up, as if prepared to spar, the logo was associated with the South Bend, Indiana, school as Notre Dame claimed football national championships in 1966, 1973, 1977 and 1988 and played in national title games in 2012 and again last season. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2025

Schreiber starred on the big screen in 2018's Den of Thieves and memorably played the feisty leprechaun Mad Sweeney on Starz's American Gods. —Derek Lawrence, EW.com, 29 July 2025

What do leprechauns do with their unfinished dinner? —Nicole Harris, Parents, 27 Feb. 2025

Channel your inner leprechaun at a bar crawl across downtown spots like Penn Social and Hill Country. —Mimi Montgomery, Axios, 13 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Irish leipreachán

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for leprechaun

• aileron
• antiphon
• autobahn
• carillon
• castellan
• celadon
• cephalon
• chitosan
• cynodon
• denouement
• deuteron
• echelon

Kids Definition

leprechaun

noun

lep·​re·​chaun ˈlep-rə-ˌkän 

-ˌkȯn

: a mischievous elf of Irish folklore that some believe will reveal where treasure is hidden if caught