boogeyman

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

/ ˈbʊg iˌmæn, ˈbu gi- /

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noun, plural boog·ey·men.

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The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

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Origin of boogeyman

First recorded in 1840–50

The practice, known as microtargeted advertising, is one of the Internet’s biggest boogeymen and has long been criticized as invasive, discriminatory and divisive.
Telling conservatives it’s a shot to ‘restore our freedoms’: How online ads are promoting coronavirus vaccination|Jeremy Merrill, Drew Harwell|August 24, 2021|Washington Post
By being looped into this national racial boogeyman, they are fodder for outrage.
The Scholar Strategy: How ‘critical race theory’ alarms could convert racial anxiety into political energy|Philip Bump|June 15, 2021|Washington Post
He says that posture is a popular boogeyman—the presumed culprit for everything from back pain, to headaches, to the constriction of blood vessels, to fatigue.
Perfect posture doesn’t exist—but you can still improve yours|empire|June 15, 2021|Popular-Science
For Republican politicians, cancel culture is a boogeyman of dazzling dexterity, capable of inflaming donors’ paranoia and opening their wallets.
Did Facebook ‘cancel Abe Lincoln’? The truth is complicated — and alarming.|Ron Charles|March 4, 2021|Washington Post

For years, Republicans have linked all Democrats to boogeymen like Nancy Pelosi, AOC and Hillary Clinton.
Why Republicans Can’t Win on QAnon-Supporting Marjorie Taylor Greene|Philip Elliott|January 28, 2021|Time
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|DAILY BEAST
For many, the events of the last few weeks have only intensified perceptions of Cuba as regional boogeyman.
Castro Visit Causes Catastrophic Muttering in Caracas|Daniel Lansberg-Rodríguez|March 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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