Meaning & use
bogeyman
Last updated
An imaginary evil or frightening being, especially one invoked to scare children into behaving.
See it in a sentence
As kids, we were convinced a bogeyman lived under the stairs.
The politician was painted as a bogeyman by his opponents' campaign ads.
A note on using this word
Beyond ghost stories, bogeyman is often used figuratively for anyone or anything treated as a vague, exaggerated source of fear.
Words with a similar meaning
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