bogeyman

South Midland and Southern U.S., boog·ey·man
Or bo·gy·man

[boog-ee-man, boh-gee-, boo-]

noun

plural

bogeymen 

1. an imaginary evil character of supernatural powers, especially a mythical hobgoblin supposed to carry off naughty children.

bogeyman

/ ˈbəʊɡɪˌmæn /

noun

1. a person, real or imaginary, used as a threat, esp to children

Word History and Origins

Origin of bogeyman¹

First recorded in 1885–90; bogey ¹ (variant of bogy ¹, in the sense “a hobgoblin, evil spirit”) + man

Example Sentences

Although Vought isn't one to shy away from controversial statements – he once said that he aspired to be "the person who crushes the deep state" – he doesn't exactly look the part of a Republican bogeyman.

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Keith Anderson, chief executive of Scottish Power, says: "The government has taken on the planning bogeyman to unlock growth and get us building. That's why the UK is now Iberdrola's biggest investment destination globally."

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The Dodgers served as a convenient bogeyman for owners of many other major league teams last winter.

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The Tate-La Bianca murders of 1969 struck fear into mainstream America, and this frightening hippie who had supposedly compelled his acolytes to commit murder became the bogeyman of the counterculture era.

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Once you start to see bogeymen in one place, it's easy to see them everywhere.

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