bogeyman
/ˈboʊ.ɡiˌmæn/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.50 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Any make-believe threat, especially one used to intimidate or distract, or a real threat greatly exaggerated for those purposes; often taking the form of a notorious historical personage suggested to return as a revenant to punish for wrongdoing.
Example Sentences
- "Near-synonyms: bogeyperson, bogeywoman"
- "Lay your head down child I won't let the boogeyman come Counting bodies like sheep To the rhythm of the war drums Pay no mind to the rabble Pay no mind to the rabble Head down, go to sleep To the rhythm of the war drums"
- "Near-synonyms: bug-a-boo, bugaboo, chimera"
- "The bogeyman of a Halloween-candy poisoner behind every door has animated occasional moral panics against trick-or-treating."
- "The specter of an election-vote recount is this year's political bogeyman."
- ""They wanted liberty. Freedom from England, perhaps from us as well. But they could not raise the country with such airy aspirations. In Kilpeder they managed to scrape together some fifty men, and this was one of the more impressive hostings. The fellow in command was a fire-eater. There is a ballad about him." "'Clonbrony Wood'," Tom said. "Ned Nolan. He has become the local bogey man.""
Etymology
Etymology tree English bogey Proto-Indo-European *mon- Proto-Germanic *mann- Proto-West Germanic *mann Old English mann Middle English man Middle English -man English -man English bogeyman From bogey + -man.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈboʊ.ɡiˌmæn/
- British English: /ˈbəʊ.ɡɪˌmæn/