bogeyman

or bo·gy·man, boog·er·man, boog·ey·man, boog·ie·man

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

See more 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.

Origin of bogeyman

1885–90; bogey¹ (variant of bogy¹, in the sense “a hobgoblin, evil spirit”) + man¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for bogeyman

Contemporary Examples

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
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
“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
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
Decoding the laugh track of the CNN Debate in Arizona, featuring references to George Costanza and bogeyman Mike Dukakis.
Tactical Humorist: Gingrich Referees, Romney Channels Costanza, Santorum on Dukakis
Mark Katz
February 24, 2012

British Dictionary definitions for bogeyman

bogeyman

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

Word Origin and History for bogeyman

n.

16c.; see bogey (n.1) + man (n.).

bogeyman

or bo·gy·man, boog·er·man, boog·ey·man, boog·ie·man

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}bogeyman

Related Words

Examples from the Web for bogeyman

Contemporary Examples

What went before, an interim framework agreement that caused a great deal of controversy, is no longer the bogeyman.

Insurance is a large and varied industry, and frequently plays the heavy and bogeyman, especially the health insurers.

“China has replaced Japan as the bogeyman of East Asia in terms of international investment,” said Milhaupt.

Hamas remains the bogeyman, much as the PLO was, before Madrid and Oslo, but with some crucial differences.

Decoding the laugh track of the CNN Debate in Arizona, featuring references to George Costanza and bogeyman Mike Dukakis.

bogeyman

Word Origin and History for bogeyman

n.

Origin of bogeyman