boogeyman

[boo g-ee-man, boo-gee-]

See more synonyms for boogeyman on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural boog·ey·men.

bogeyman.

Origin of boogeyman

First recorded in 1840–50; variant of bogyman

bogeyman

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

[boo g-ee-man, boh-gee-, boo-]

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. 2018

Examples from the Web for boogeyman

Contemporary Examples

Are you curious, as I am, to know the literal meaning of the word or phrase Griswold translated as “boogeyman”?
Beauty and Subversion in the Secret Poems of Afghan Women
Daniel Bosch
April 6, 2014
The news quickly took Washington by storm, earning Cantor the nickname the “boogeyman.”
John Boehner’s Holiday Photo Snub & More Petty Political Moments
Abby Haglage
December 5, 2012
So, every story in Night Shift, especially “The Boogeyman” and “I Am the Doorway”—was huge for me.
Gillian Flynn: How I Write
Noah Charney
November 21, 2012
He was generally considered the number one fighter in the game, going by the nickname of The Boogeyman.
Derek Boogaard: The Player Hockey Hooked by Feeding Him Painkillers
Buzz Bissinger
June 7, 2012
Now that we are in the run of the play, our stage manager has the crystal backstage to ward off the boogeyman.
Cynthia Nixon on Bisexuality & Her New Role in ‘Wit’
Kevin Sessums
January 24, 2012

Historical Examples

Now that we knew Oswalds you know they really think we are boogeyman or something.
Warren Commission (9 of 26): Hearings Vol. IX (of 15)
The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

British Dictionary definitions for boogeyman

bogeyman

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.).

boogeyman

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}boogeyman

bogeyman

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

Origin of bogeyman

Examples from the Web for boogeyman

Contemporary Examples

Are you curious, as I am, to know the literal meaning of the word or phrase Griswold translated as “boogeyman”?

The news quickly took Washington by storm, earning Cantor the nickname the “boogeyman.”

So, every story in Night Shift, especially “The Boogeyman” and “I Am the Doorway”—was huge for me.

He was generally considered the number one fighter in the game, going by the nickname of The Boogeyman.

Now that we are in the run of the play, our stage manager has the crystal backstage to ward off the boogeyman.

Historical Examples

Now that we knew Oswalds you know they really think we are boogeyman or something.

bogeyman

Word Origin and History for boogeyman

bogeyman

n.

Origin of boogeyman