boogeyman

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

noun

plural

boogeymen 

1. bogeyman.

Word History and Origins

Origin of boogeyman¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

And it would give the Bills another chance to really get over their boogeyman.

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“But to me he was like a real boogeyman. That stayed in my mind.”

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Was Deen really an early victim of the fictitious celebrity boogeyman now known as “cancel culture,” or was she appropriately harangued?

Read more on Salon

Charlie Kirk bizarrely resurrected the DEI boogeyman to suggest that a fire department nearly two hours away is responsible for the delayed response to Friday’s floods.

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Craig said the characters’ frequent misinterpretations took on the role of the “monster,” since this is a horror movie without a true boogeyman.

Read more on Los Angeles Times