bogeyman
/ˈboʊ.ɡiˌmæn/noun
bogeyman is spelled B-O-G-E-Y-M-A-N: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 52,954th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, bogeyman means “A menacing, ghost-like monster in children's stories” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of bogeyman is bogeymen.
How many letters and syllables are in bogeyman?
| Letters | 8: B-O-G-E-Y-M-A-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 52,954th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is bogeyman?
Bogeyman appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 52,954th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce bogeyman?
- UK /ˈbəʊ.ɡɪˌmæn/
- UK /ˈbəʊ.ɡiˌmæn/
- US /ˈboʊ.ɡiˌmæn/
Bogeyman has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-bogeyman.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with bogeyman?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as bogeyman (/oʊɡimæn/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: moneybag.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of bogeyman
- bogeymen plural
- bogieman
- bogyman
- boogieman
- boogeyman
- boogyman
- buggerman
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bogeyman mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A menacing, ghost-like monster in children's stories.
Near-synonyms: bogeyperson, bogeywoman
- 2
Any make-believe threat, especially one used to intimidate or distract, or a real threat greatly exaggerated for those purposes; often taking the form of a notorious historical personage suggested to return as a revenant to punish for wrongdoing.
Near-synonyms: bug-a-boo, bugaboo, chimera
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bogeyman in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense menacing, ghost-like monster in children's stories:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | croque-mitaine |
| German | Butzemann, Schreckgespenst |
| Portuguese | bicho-papão, homem do saco, papa-figos |
| Spanish | coco, cuco, cucuy, sacamantecas, hombre del saco |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does bogeyman come from?
From bogey + -man.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).