1. plural of bogeyman; imaginary evil beings used to frighten children
Usage: informal
2. people or things that are unreasonably feared or blamed for problems
Usage: figurative

Examples

• Children often imagine boogymen hiding under their beds.
• Parents shouldn’t use boogymen to scare kids into behaving.
• The politician created boogymen out of his opponents.
• These economic boogymen don’t actually threaten our prosperity.
• Stop turning immigrants into boogymen for every social problem.
• The media often portrays certain groups as boogymen.