bogeyman

or bo·gy·man

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

/ ˈbʊg iˌmæn, ˈboʊ gi-, ˈbu- /

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See synonyms for bogeyman on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural bo·gey·men.

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

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Also boog·ey·man or boog·ie·man

[boog-ee-man, boo-gee-]; /ˈbʊg iˌmæn, ˈbu gi-/; South Midland and Southern U.S., boog·er·man

[boog-er-man, boo-ger-] /ˈbʊg ərˌmæn, ˈbu gər-/ .

Origin of bogeyman

First recorded in 1885–90; bogey¹ (variant of bogy¹, in the sense “a hobgoblin, evil spirit”) + man

Words nearby bogeyman

bog cotton, bog deal, bog down, bogey, bogey-hole, bogeyman, boggart, bogger, bogging, boggle, boggler

How to use bogeyman in a sentence

For the left, the situation represented the right’s opposition to progress and fixation on cultural bogeymen.
The Education of Glenn Youngkin|Molly Ball/Richmond, Va.|June 30, 2022|TIme
Its rise has been powered by a strategy of mobilizing Hindu voters using the country’s minorities as the bogeyman.
The Islamic World's Outrage Against India Won't Protect the Country's Muslims|Debasish Roy Chowdhury|June 9, 2022|Time
Kashmir thus fits neatly into the BJP’s use of Muslims as the bogeyman to unite the vastly disparate Hindu voter base against the dangerous “other.”
The Kashmir Files: How a New Bollywood Film Marks India’s Further Descent Into Bigotry|Debasish Roy Chowdhury|March 30, 2022|Time
The movement has served, at times, as a bogeyman for police and the far right in general, with Snohomish’s own police chief resigning last year, days before the Back The Blue rally, after he fueled rumors of an ominous antifa mob approaching town.
Cops Confuse ‘ANTHRAX’ With ‘ANTIFA’ in Hunt for Violent Protester|Kelly Weill|June 16, 2021|The Daily Beast

A neo-Nazi alliance called Right Sector, which was active in pro-Maidan violence, is another bogeyman.
Ukraine’s Fighting Words|Igor Kossov|May 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What went before, an interim framework agreement that caused a great deal of controversy, is no longer the bogeyman.
P5+1 Talks Drill Down On The Future Of Iran’s Nukes|Michael Adler|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Insurance is a large and varied industry, and frequently plays the heavy and bogeyman, especially the health insurers.
The Insurance Industry’s Liberal Turn|Daniel Gross|July 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“China has replaced Japan as the bogeyman of East Asia in terms of international investment,” said Milhaupt.
Softbank’s Acquisition of Sprint Latest Big Japanese Buy|Matthew Zeitlin|October 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Hamas remains the bogeyman, much as the PLO was, before Madrid and Oslo, but with some crucial differences.
Why the Left Should Not Call for Talks with Hamas|Don Futterman|August 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for bogeyman

bogeyman

/ (ˈbəʊɡɪˌmæn) /

noun plural -men

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

bogeyman

or bo·gy·man

Origin of bogeyman

Words nearby bogeyman

Words related to bogeyman

How to use bogeyman in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bogeyman