1. an imaginary evil spirit or monster used to frighten children
Usage: also spelled boogeyman or bogeyman
2. a person or thing that is widely feared or disliked
Usage: figurative use

Examples

• The child was afraid the boogyman was hiding under his bed.
• She told her little brother that the boogyman would get him if he didn’t behave.
• Parents shouldn’t use the boogyman to scare their children into obedience.
• The politician became the boogyman for all the country’s economic problems.
• Don’t let fear of failure become your personal boogyman.
• The media portrayed him as the boogyman of corporate greed.