boogie
Americannoun
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boogies
plural
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Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a Black person.
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a lively form of rock 'n' roll, based on the blues.
verb (used without object)
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boogies,
present (3rd person singular)
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boogied,
past participle, past
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boogieing
present participle
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to dance energetically, especially to rock music.
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Slang. to go (often followed byon down ).
We boogied on down to the club to catch the comedy act.
We're gonna be late—let's boogie.
verb
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to dance to pop music
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to make love
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
boogiesimple
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boogiessimple
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have boogiedperfect
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has boogiedperfect
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am boogieingprogressive
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are boogieingprogressive
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is boogieingprogressive
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have been boogieingperfect progressive
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has been boogieingperfect progressive
Past
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boogiedsimple
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had boogiedperfect
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was boogieingprogressive
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were boogieingprogressive
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had been boogieingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of boogie
An Americanism dating back to 1920–25; of uncertain origin
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:
In Little Sam’s Island & Beach Fun, boogie boards and water toys sat unrented in the near-empty shop.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
Last December, the singer revealed he had started to perform again and had been playing with a 10-piece boogie jazz band since his recovery.
From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2025
Bring your boogie shoes — and your thinking caps.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2024
Beyoncé has never sounded more southern as she sings, "It's a real-life boogie and a real-life hoedown."
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2024
“I get this much to boogie in the street,” complained the Blue Monkey.
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
For a sequence where Silverio boogies down to a vocals-only version of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” the visual ballet for Khondji was an expression of intimacy and scale.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2022
“And we’re bipartisan this year,” joked one of the night’s attendees, pointing out yet another change in the way Washington boogies in 2017.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 8, 2017
“All by Myself” is playing, as it was in the opening credits of the first movie—but then the song changes, and Bridget boogies to House of Pain’s “Jump Around.”
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 24, 2016
Virginia-born, New York-based singer Mabel Scott made a career singing boogies and boogie-woogies, but her salacious 1950 hit may be the most enduring smash in her catalog.
From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2014
Whether I play the blues or boogies, concertos or cantatas, I forget about me.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
The actor was spotlighted in several episodes during the show’s second season, particularly the finale, when Mr. Milchick boogied while backing a marching band during an employee celebration for completing the Cold Harbor file.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2025
Some gleeful fans turned around to shoot selfies with Bieber, who wore a a black skullcap, shades, a white hoodie and a sparkling necklace as he boogied in the background.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 12, 2022
Remember when Theresa May boogied her way on to the Conservative Party conference stage to Abba's Dancing Queen?
From BBC ● Dec. 27, 2021
People took to the streets and boogied down to Steam's 1969 hit "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye."
From Salon ● Nov. 16, 2020
And while the crowd clapped, called out, and boogied on that last song, Clayton found an opening to plead his case.
From "Clayton Byrd Goes Underground" by Rita Williams-Garcia
On Wednesday, Theresa May seemed to focus on the latter, making her entrance for her big conference speech by boogieing to Abba's Dancing Queen.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2018
Another photo of Trump boogieing at Le Club, the private watering hole in the 70’s on the Upper East Side where boomers went to show off and misbehave.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2018
Little ones can start boogieing immediately with Karen Arcenaux, who will start the fun with Zumba, and then enjoy multicultural performances by groups like the New York Arabic Orchestra and Uptown Social Club.
From New York Times ● Jun. 15, 2017
Related: Ian McKellen: 'Gandalf the Grey likes boogieing around Hobbiton and having a drink' “There’s nothing scary about acting with her,” he continued.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 21, 2015
I don’t know what he was doing, but he was boogieing now.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 19, 2015
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
