bogeyman

or bo·gy·man

[ boog-ee-man, boh-gee-, boo- ]

noun

, plural bo·gey·men.

1. an imaginary evil character of supernatural powers, especially a mythical hobgoblin supposed to carry off naughty children.

bogeyman

/ ˈbəʊɡɪˌmæn /

noun

1. a person, real or imaginary, used as a threat, esp to children

Word History and Origins

Origin of bogeyman¹

First recorded in 1885–90; bogey ¹ (variant of bogy ¹, in the sense “a hobgoblin, evil spirit”) + man

Example Sentences

Such simplicity in design, along with a winking sense of artifice, is partly what helped turn Kent’s bogeyman into an unlikely gay icon.

From Los Angeles Times

Nicolas Cage plays the film’s titular bogeyman — but you wouldn’t necessarily know that from the marketing materials, which deliberately obscure the actor’s face.

From Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles has always been a magnet for those seeking fame, even if that means serving as a bogeyman for opportunistic pundits.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s unclear what line of thinking made Trump invoke the fictional mass murderer – or whether he was encouraging his followers to act like Hannibal Lecter or referencing some flesh-eating bogeyman from south of the border.

From Salon

Now it’s down to Rangers to get the better of a guy who must feel like a bogeyman to them.

From BBC