bogeyman

IPA/ˈbəʊɡimæn/
KK[bˈoɡimˌæn]IPA/ˈbəʊɡimæn/

bogeyman — 名詞

  • bogeymansingular
  • bogeymansplural

1. A frightening imaginary creature that adults say will come to punish children wh

1.名詞B2
釋義

嚇人怪物

用來嚇唬小孩的虛構怪物

A frightening imaginary creature that adults say will come to punish children who behave badly, used as a way to make children follow rules or go to sleep.

例句

My grandmother told us the bogeyman would get us if we stayed out after dark.

我祖母跟我們說，要是天黑後還待在外面，嚇人怪物就會來抓我們。

the bogeyman + would get [someone] — threat formulation

Some politicians use immigration as a bogeyman to scare voters before elections.

有些政治人物把移民當作嚇人怪物，在選舉前嚇唬選民。

use [something] as a bogeyman — political metaphor

常見搭配
  • the bogeyman (always definite)
  • bogeyman figure
  • bogeyman stories
  • bogeyman + will get/catch you
  • use [something] as a bogeyman
  • turn [someone] into a bogeyman
同義詞
  • monster

    broader term for any frightening creature; bogeyman is a specific type used to scare children into behaving

  • spectre

    more formal and literary; often refers to a ghostly or haunting figure rather than a child-discipline device

  • bugbear

    similar figurative range but less common; often means a persistent irritation rather than a deliberate threat

反義詞
  • protector

    a protector keeps children safe; the bogeyman threatens them

  • guardian

    a guardian watches over children; the bogeyman is used to frighten them

文法句型

the bogeyman (singular)

bogeyman + will + [verb]

用法筆記

Almost always used with the definite article ('the bogeyman'). In political and media discussions, the word is often used metaphorically to describe a person or group blamed for society's problems.

常見錯誤

A bogeyman is hiding under my bed.
The bogeyman is hiding under my bed.
In the traditional child-scaring sense, the word is almost always used with 'the' because it refers to a single, well-known imaginary figure, not any one of many monsters.

同根字

常見搭配

名詞搭配

  • bogeyman figure
  • bogeyman stories
  • bogeyman myth
  • bogeyman threat

常用片語

  • the bogeyman will get you
  • use [someone/something] as a bogeyman
  • turn [someone] into a bogeyman
  • the bogeyman of [society/politics/immigration]

介系詞搭配

  • of (the bogeyman of [something])