boggart

British

/ ˈbɒɡət /

noun

dialect a ghost or poltergeist

"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 boggart

perhaps from bog , variant of _bug ² + _-ard

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.

For example, a boggart, which can transform into one’s worst fear, can be eradicated with laughter.

From Time • Jul. 30, 2015

Ron was still slightly inclined to laugh at Hermione’s boggart, but an argument was averted by the sight that met them on the top of the steps.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

He didn’t want Lupin to think he was a coward, especially since Lupin already seemed to think he couldn’t cope with a boggart.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

“Well,” said Lupin, frowning slightly, “I assumed that if the boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort.”

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

Hermione did everything perfectly until she reached the trunk with the boggart in it.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

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