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Noun: bogeyman (bogeymen)  'bow-gee,man or 'bû-gee,man or 'boo-gee,man
  1. An imaginary monster used to frighten children
    "The child refused to sleep, fearing the bogeyman in the closet";
    - bugbear, bugaboo [N. Amer], boogeyman [US], booger [N. Amer, informal], bogyman
     
  2. A person or thing that is widely regarded as an object of fear
    "Tax auditors are often seen as the bogeyman of small business owners"

Derived forms: bogeymen

Type of: monster

Encyclopedia: Bogeyman