Synonyms

bogeyman

American

[boog-ee-man, boh-gee-, boo-] / ˈbʊg iˌmæn, ˈboʊ gi-, ˈbu- /

South Midland and Southern U.S., boogeyman or bogyman

noun

plural

bogeymen

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

bogeyman British

/ ˈbəʊɡɪˌmæn /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bogeyman

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

From despair and optimism to downright fear of new England bogeyman Mitchell Starc.

From BBC • Dec. 4, 2025

Opponents of Proposition 50 have their own bogeyman.

From Barron's • Nov. 4, 2025

“Uber is no longer the bogeyman it was,” said McNamara.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 15, 2025

Genetics seems to be the big driver, reinforcing the argument that autism is a normal human variation and there is no Big Pharma bogeyman at the heart of this issue.

From Slate • Sep. 25, 2025

“Now, now, sweetie,” Pa said to Miss Hendrix, the same way he told Fern, “Now, now baby girl. Ain’t no bogeyman in the radiator pipe.”

From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023