What does bogart mean?
Bogart is an informal American verb meaning to selfishly take over or refuse to share something that belongs to everyone. Someone who 'bogarts' the snacks, the TV remote, or the conversation keeps control of it without letting others have their turn. The word comes from actor Humphrey Bogart, whose tough-guy screen characters often kept a cigarette dangling from his lips without ever seeming to smoke it down — a habit that suggested holding onto something indefinitely. It entered mainstream slang through the 1973 song 'Don't Bogart That,' which urged listeners to pass along what they were holding. Today the word is used playfully and colloquially, usually with mild teasing or light criticism rather than real anger, and it appears most often in casual speech about shared objects or group situations. Its closest synonym is 'hog.'
verbTo selfishly take over, monopolize, or refuse to share something, especially something intended to be shared among a group.
- To selfishly monopolize or refuse to share something held in common.
- (Less common) To bully, intimidate, or act aggressively toward someone.
"Quit bogarting the popcorn and pass it down."
"Stop bogarting the aux cord and let someone else pick a song."
"He spent the whole meeting bogarting the conversation and never let anyone else get a word in."
This word exists because of one actor's on-screen swagger and one 1973 hit song about passing a joint — 'Don't Bogart That' made Humphrey Bogart's name into everyday slang for hogging things.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bogart
The word derives directly from the surname of American actor Humphrey Bogart (1899–1957), whose screen persona — notably his cigarette-holding mannerisms in films like Casablanca and The Big Sleep — inspired slang for keeping something to oneself. The surname itself has Dutch origins, ultimately tracing back to words relating to orchards or dwelling places. The slang sense spread widely after appearing in the 1973 song 'Don't Bogart That' by Fraternity of Man, featured in the film Easy Rider, and remains chiefly an Americanism.
How bogart is actually used
Informal American slang, best avoided in formal writing. The dominant sense is playful rather than hostile — it carries a teasing, mildly critical tone when calling out someone for not sharing. A rarer sense meaning to intimidate or strong-arm someone exists in some dialects and crime fiction.
Easily confused with bogart
A bogey is a ghostly figure or, in golf, one stroke over par, whereas to bogart is to selfishly hog or monopolize something.