An imaginary, frightening creature or monster used to scare children; any person or thing depicted as a threat or scapegoat.
Origin unclear; possibly from Scottish or Gaelic folklore 'bogeyman,' or from African-American slang. Used in English since at least the 19th century to describe frightening figures.
The 'boogyman' has no consistent description—which is the whole point—making him perfect for anything humans want to fear, from actual criminals to political opponents to entire demographic groups.
Variant spelling of bogeyman; uses the male-default 'man' suffix. This term has historically gendered threat imagery as masculine, though modern usage is largely gender-neutral.
Use 'boogyman' (standard modern spelling, now gender-neutral in practice) or 'boogeyperson' when clarity is critical. In most contexts, 'boogyman' is acceptable and widely understood.
["bogeyman","boogeyperson","bogey"]
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