bogeyman

American  

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

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

noun

bogeymen plural

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

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bogeyman British  

/ ˈbəʊɡɪˌmæn /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bogeymen
  plural

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

The Bogeyman Audience members will be blindfolded for this new horror-themed 20-minute theatrical experience; 18 and up only; waiver must be signed before entry.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2019

“Green wants us to believe in his Bogeyman, and Curtis is his ace card,” Jeannette Catsoulis wrote in her New York Times review.

From New York Times • May 25, 2019

Still, not all is lost, because the Bogeyman, bless him, has not forgotten his manners.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 12, 2018

An adaptation of another popular Briggs' book, Fungus the Bogeyman, will be shown on Sky One this Christmas.

From BBC • Aug. 3, 2015

He had replaced Satan, the Bogeyman, Frankenstein's monster, and Mumbo Jumbo, Lord of the Congo, in the public mind.

From Anything You Can Do! by Garrett, Randall