boogie
Americannoun
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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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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
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.
"It was a bit of a boogie, a rave... it was like a nightclub."
From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026
Hargitay and her “SVU” co-star Kelli Giddish posted their own boogie to the funky, jazzy tune.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2025
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
“Texas Hold ’Em” begins with rapid-plucked guitar and moves into a stomping beat, with Beyoncé rhyming “Texas” and “Lexus” and singing lines like, “It’s a real live boogie and a real live hoedown.”
From New York Times • Feb. 11, 2024
“Or—hey, how about boogie boarding? I bet you haven’t done that yet.”
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
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.
