boogeyman

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

noun

, plural boog·ey·men.

1. bogeyman.

Word History and Origins

Origin of boogeyman¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

In the wake of the 2020 racial justice protests, CRT, with help from Rufo, quickly became something of a "radical left" boogeyman.

From Salon

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

While Hernández has consistently, statistically, underperformed, his reputation as baseball’s bumbling boogeyman overshadows everything.

From Seattle Times

“It’s a device that as a father and a grandfather I’ve used — the boogeyman will get you if you don’t watch out.”

From Los Angeles Times

“It's like the boogeyman that won't go away, that gets summoned whenever a justification is needed for these types of agendas,” he said.

From Salon