bogeyman

noun

bo·​gey·​man ˈbu̇-gē-ˌman How to pronounce bogeyman (audio) ˈbō- How to pronounce bogeyman (audio)
ˈbü-,
ˈbu̇-gər- How to pronounce bogeyman (audio)
variants or less commonly bogyman
Synonyms of bogeymannext
1
: a monstrous imaginary figure used in threatening children
2
: a terrifying or dreaded person or thing : bugbear

Examples of bogeyman in a Sentence

My aunt used to say to my sister and me, “The bogeyman will get you if you're bad.” a politician who is the familiar bogeyman of conservatives
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As backlash to Tesla and Musk grows, the White House is doubling down on its defense of the company and the richest person in the world, who has become a bogeyman for the administration as critics blame him for the government overhaul. — Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 21 Mar. 2025 Keynes, the seminal advocate of government intervention in times of economic unrest, was a longtime bogeyman for small-government conservatives. — Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024 Fracking is not the bogeyman that has been pushed and misrepresented by zealous groups of anti-frackers. — Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024 After the 2023 Supreme Court ruling, which deemed affirmative action in university admissions unconstitutional, attacks on DEI proliferated, and the term became a right-wing bogeyman blamed for almost anything that goes wrong in any workplace. — Kizzy Cox, Essence, 11 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bogeyman

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bogeyman was in 1890

Rhymes for bogeyman

See All Rhymes for bogeyman

Browse Nearby Words

bogey
bogeyman
bogfern
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bogeyman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bogeyman. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

bogeyman

noun
bo·​gey·​man ˈbu̇g-ē-ˌman How to pronounce bogeyman (audio) ˈbō-gē- How to pronounce bogeyman (audio)
ˈbü-gē-
1
: an imaginary monster used in threatening children
2
: a terrifying or dreaded person or thing

More from Merriam-Webster on bogeyman

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bogeyman

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Words in Disguise: Do these seem familiar?

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

'When Pigs Fly' and Other Barnyard Idioms

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things
See More

Popular

See More

Words in Disguise: Do these seem familiar?

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

'When Pigs Fly' and Other Barnyard Idioms
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
kestrel
Name That Bird Quiz Are you as wise as an owl or just another birdbrain?
See All