Synonyms

boo-boo

American

[boo-boo] / ˈbuˌbu /

noun

Slang.

plural

boo-boos

a minor injury; owie.

My dad was doing dishes and kissing boo-boos way back in the 1960s.
a stupid or silly mistake; blunder.

Even people with loads of sewing experience make boo-boos when creating a piece!

Synonyms:

slip-up, slip, screwup, goof, fumble, fluff, flub

boo-boo British

noun

informal an embarrassing mistake; blunder

"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 boo-boo

An Americanism dating back to 1950–55; baby talk

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.

"Naomi, my boo boo bunny, I love you so much. We love you so much," Naomi's mother, Diana Irion, said in a tearful message to her daughter.

From Fox News • Mar. 24, 2022

I am the POTUS—- boo boo on you!

From Washington Post • Nov. 18, 2021

An open message to all you loving tolerant righteous enlightened kind cozy boo boo bears.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2020

It’s like a late-night writer’s dream come true when DiCaprio texts back: “You mean tonight, boo boo, club-wise?”

From The Guardian • Apr. 1, 2016

Politician makes a boo boo then does the decent thing.

From BBC • Dec. 13, 2012

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