boogeyman
Americannoun
plural
boogeymenEtymology
Origin of boogeyman
First recorded in 1840–50
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.
Artificial intelligence could be the boogeyman that gnaws at market share.
From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026
And it would give the Bills another chance to really get over their boogeyman.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 3, 2025
With Moses as boogeyman, we are spared the more challenging question: Why did his worst decisions seem like such great ideas to so many people in the first place?
From Slate • Sep. 16, 2024
The gig appears to take its name from a line in “Not Like Us”: “Sometimes you gotta pop out and show ... / Certified boogeyman, I’m the one that up the score with ‘em.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2024
"Examine your consciences," Sandi said in a boogeyman voice.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
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.
