What does bogeymen mean?
Bogeymen are the plural of bogeyman — imaginary monsters from folklore invoked chiefly to frighten children into behaving, such as staying in bed or avoiding dark places. The term extends naturally into adult discourse as a metaphor: politicians, commentators, and writers frequently speak of 'bogeymen' when describing enemies or dangers whose threat is exaggerated or invented for rhetorical effect. In this figurative sense, the word implies criticism of fearmongering rather than genuine menace. The word derives from the Middle English 'bugge,' meaning a hobgoblin or frightening specter, a root it shares with 'bugbear,' 'bugaboo,' and even 'bug.' Bogeymen appear in countless cultural traditions under different names, making the concept one of the most widespread devices in folklore. Whether literal nursery monsters or rhetorical villains, bogeymen embody humanity's enduring habit of giving shape to its anxieties.
nounThe plural form of bogeyman: imaginary frightening figures, especially ones invoked to scare children into good behavior, or figuratively, people or things that serve as objects of exaggerated fear.
- Imaginary terrifying figures invoked to frighten children into obedience.
- Figurative persons, groups, or threats used as objects of exaggerated public fear or blame.
"Politicians have long used economic bogeymen to rally support for their policies."
"Children were warned that bogeymen would come for them if they wandered out after dark."
"For decades, foreign spies served as convenient bogeymen in political rhetoric."
'Bogeymen' is the standard plural of 'bogeyman'; it does not take an additional plural ending.
"Folklore across Europe features many different bogeymen, each tailored to local fears."
Every culture invents its own bogeymen — but they all trace back centuries to the same old English word 'bugge,' a hobgoblin that also gave us 'bug' and 'bugbear.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bogeymen
Bogeymen derive from 'bogeyman,' itself formed from 'bogey,' an old term for a hobgoblin or ghost, first recorded in English in the medieval period as 'bugge' or 'bogge.' This root also produced related words such as 'bugbear,' 'bugaboo,' and the Scottish 'bogle,' all denoting goblin-like creatures of folklore. The word has cognates across Germanic languages and possibly links to the Welsh 'bwg,' meaning ghost or hobgoblin. Over time, the frightening folkloric sense broadened into figurative use, where 'bogeymen' denotes manufactured or exaggerated threats.
Related word forms
How bogeymen is actually used
Almost always used as the plural of 'bogeyman'; the singular is far more common in everyday speech. The word carries connotations of irrational or manufactured fear when used figuratively.
Easily confused with bogeymen
In golf, a 'bogey' is scoring one stroke over par on a hole, entirely unrelated to the frightening figure of folklore.