boogeyman
boogeyman — noun
- boogeymansingular
- boogeymansplural
1. a make-believe scary creature that adults say will come and get children who mis
a make-believe scary creature that adults say will come and get children who misbehave; also, any vaguely defined thing that people fear as a serious threat
Emma's grandmother told her that the boogeyman would come if she stayed up past midnight.
Parents in many cultures use the boogeyman to make children stay in bed at night.
typical use: warning children to behave
For some politicians, immigration has become a political boogeyman that they use to win votes.
The children hid under their blankets, afraid that the boogeyman was hiding in the closet.
Tomás no longer believes in the boogeyman, but he checks under the bed.
- monster
broader term — includes dragons, giants, and other mythical creatures, not only the specific child-frightening figure
- bogeyman
alternative spelling of the same word, more common in British English
- threat
figurative — more general term for any danger; lacks the fictional-imaginary connotation
- scapegoat
figurative — refers specifically to someone or something blamed for problems, not just feared
用法筆記
Commonly appears in political and social commentary as a figurative threat or scapegoat, usually modified by an adjective such as 'political' or 'conservative'. The literal children's-monster use typically occurs in warnings, bedtime stories, or casual speech.