bejesus

[ bih-jee-zuhs, -jey- ]

interjection

1. (used as a mild oath expressing dismay, anger, or the like.)

noun

1. Informal. dickens; devil; deuce:

   The conglomerate plans to take that tiny company and expand the bejesus out of it.

bejesus

/ bɪˈdʒeɪzəz /

interjection

1. an exclamation of surprise, emphasis, etc, regarded as a characteristic utterance of Irish people

noun

1. the bejesus
   (intensifier) used in such phrases as beat the bejesus out of , scare the bejesus out of , etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of bejesus¹

First recorded in 1905–10; alteration of oath by Jesus

Word History and Origins

Origin of bejesus¹

C20: alteration of by Jesus!

Example Sentences

The Redondo Beach Pier, first built in 1888 as a lumber wharf, burned spectacularly in 1988, perhaps from an electrical short from damage by two immense storms that had just beaten the bejesus out of the place.

From Los Angeles Times

Santiago’s descent begins one night when a dead body scares the bejesus out of him by opening its eyes and screaming “Kill me, please.”

From New York Times

Mr. Skal was an author with encyclopedic knowledge of a subject not always taken seriously — movies meant to scare the bejesus out of people — whose erudition, combined with a chatty writing style, made his books lively and entertaining.

From New York Times

If such talk doesn’t scare the bejesus out of most voters once they’re tuned in, I’m confident it will at least turn off enough of them to give Mr. Thumbs-up a thumbs-down.

From Los Angeles Times

“If I were Donald Trump, I’d be scared out of my bejesus here, because if a jury like this in Washington, D.C., nails Rudy to the wall like they did yesterday, you can imagine what’s going to happen when that trial goes forward,” Akerman said.

From Seattle Times