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Definitions

boogeyman

[boog-ee-man, boo-gee-] / ˈbʊg iˌmæn, ˈbu gi- /






Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The market is seeing a boogeyman that frankly doesn’t exist.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

Artificial intelligence could be the boogeyman that gnaws at market share.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

With Moses as boogeyman, we are spared the more challenging question: Why did his worst decisions seem like such great ideas to so many people in the first place?

From Slate • Sep. 16, 2024

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 • Jun. 5, 2024

Vonetta didn’t notice, or she pretended she didn’t notice, but Fern had stopped clinging to Uncle D. Fern heard him hollering at night like the boogeyman howling and rattling in the radiator pipes.

From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia