- a variation of bogeyman.
boogeyman
Americannoun
-
boogeymen
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of boogeyman
First recorded in 1840–50
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.
See Examples For:
Piker, who earlier this year appeared on the campaign trail with El-Sayed, is a major influence among progressives and a boogeyman to establishment Republicans and Democrats alike.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Why not create a boogeyman and blame them for making a mockery of competitive balance?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Artificial intelligence could be the boogeyman that gnaws at market share.
From Barron's ● Feb. 4, 2026
Was Deen really an early victim of the fictitious celebrity boogeyman now known as “cancel culture,” or was she appropriately harangued?
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2025
“There were?” says Garrett, wide-eyed, like someone just proved to him that the boogeyman was real.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Even Cyrus’ freakishly long nails and eerie voice are derivative of other horror movie boogeymen, but without their grasp of the uncannily malevolent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
I mean that AI now sits squarely atop the pile of modern parents’ anxieties, having rapidly eclipsed boogeymen like screen time and social media.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026
Where bambinos, billy goats and boogeymen curse entire teams.
From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2024
What we do not enjoy, however, is the pesky presence of well-known boogeymen like raw egg and flour, which are obviously not two items that should be eaten with such vigor.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2023
He needs as many boogeymen and vanquished foes as he can conjure.
From Slate ● Feb. 11, 2020
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
