bogey

noun

variants also bogie or bogy
Definition of bogeynext
1
as in dread
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason math and math tests have long been bogeys for many students

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in ghost
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people the child believed bogeys lived in the closet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bogey Sei Young Kim chipped in for birdie on the par-3 11th to take a one-stroke lead in the final group, then dropped four shots on the next three holes with a double bogey and two bogeys. — ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026 The 42-year-old Topeka native had two birdies, a bogey and six pars on the front nine, making the turn at 1-under 34. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026 Whaley holed a nervy 5-foot bogey putt on the 18th hole to defeat Georgia senior Carter Loflin. — Mercury News Staff, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2026 With one final bogey for a 3-over 73, Woods finishes out of the top 100 for the first time ever in a major. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bogey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bogey
  1. dread
  2. ghost
  3. terror
  4. apparition
  5. bugaboo
  6. spirit
  7. enemy
  8. phantom
Noun
  • The joy Lisa has with her RHUGT cast compared with the dread her RHOSLC cast seems to bring her really bums me out — especially because of how much of this trip is championing the sisterhood of Housewives.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Along with this came the profound dread that straight white men (like me) felt about saying a single wrong sentence and facing the possibility of permanent exile without forgiveness.
    — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of dread
Noun
  • To be eligible to play Power Four college sports now means to breathe; there are rumors that a group of ghosts from the 1907 Pitt Panthers is suing the NCAA to play another year.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
  • In one extended sequence, Delaney just wanders his lonely apartment, the ghost of his wife already haunting the place.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of ghost
Noun
  • The video was released by Hamas in what hostage families described as psychological terror.
    — Bianna Golodryga, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • He was arrested by the police and convicted of spying for a terror plot against the network.
    — Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of terror
Noun
  • One minute, the stubble field in front of his stand had been empty, and then suddenly, like an apparition, a whitetail buck had appeared.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
  • That is, until miraculous apparitions turn it into a place to be.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 17 July 2026
Definition of apparition
Noun
  • This thing of like trying to paint a certain type or color or class of people as the enemy and the great bugaboo in America?
    — Jim Ryan, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • If there’s any big bugaboo in his profile, he can be beaten by higher-end velocity, but his ability to adjust to secondary offerings keeps him afloat.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026
Definition of bugaboo
Noun
  • And the who, what and why of the vengeful spirit is the narrative pull of the play — along with the tense anticipation of more revelations, suspicions and shocks.
    — Frank Rizzo, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Art represents beauty and self-expression, while healing reflects science and well-being across mind, body and spirit.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of spirit
Noun
  • Blanche’s immediate predecessor, Pam Bondi, was ousted in April after failing to deliver successful prosecutions against the president’s political enemies.
    — Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than law enforcement authorities like the Coast Guard having to seize a vessel under civil seizure laws, the Department of Defense, usually through military force, can seize an enemy vessel instead.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of enemy
Noun
  • Fadal brought up her own phantom smells during a recent podcast conversation with Andrea Donsky, a nutritionist who’s written about and conducted research on this symptom.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Both phantoms were packed with thousands of dosimeters, tracking radiation dose over specific phases of the flight rather than just a cumulative total.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of phantom

Browse Nearby Words

bog (down)
bogey
bogeyman
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bogey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bogey. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bogey

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bogey

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