definitions

boogeyman

[ boo g-ee-man, boo-gee- ]
/ ˈbʊg iˌmæn, ˈbu gi- /
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noun, plural boog·ey·men.

bogeyman.

RELATED WORDS

gremlin, scare, hobgoblin, ogre, apprehension, bugaboo, fear, bogey, dread, threat, terror, problem, goblin, specter, wraith, loup-garou, bogy, phantom, monster, bugbear

Nearby words

boody, boofhead, boofy, booger, boogerman, boogeyman, boogie, boogie board, boogie-woogie, boogieman, boohai

Origin of boogeyman

First recorded in 1840–50; variant of bogyman

Definition for boogeyman (2 of 2)

bogeyman

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

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

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for boogeyman

British Dictionary definitions for boogeyman

bogeyman

/ (ˈbəʊɡɪˌmæn) /

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 boogeyman

bogeyman

n.

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

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper