bogey man
Childhood nightmare figure
A bogey man is a frightening creature invoked to scare children into good behavior: The bogey man will get you if you don't go to sleep.
More broadly, any imagined or exaggerated threat: Inflation has become the bogey man of economic policy.
Also spelled bogeyman or boogeyman.
- fiendCruel person or enthusiast
- scaryCausing fright
- nightmareFrightening dream causing wakefulness
- night terrorsFrightening partial-arousal episodes
- La LloronaWailing woman ghost
childhood · bedtime stories · Baba Yaga · bugbear · mysterious · fear · monster · intangible · morality tale · primal fear · bugaboo · specter · boogeyman · closet monster · under the bed · shadow self · superstition · werewolf
bogey manguardian angel
Protective spirit assigned individually
protector · savior · fairy godmother · hero · defender
bogey manSanta Claus
Legendary yuletide gift-giver
tooth fairy · guardian angel · Easter Bunny · fairy godmother · sandman