bo ‧ gey ‧ man /ˈbəʊɡimæn $ ˈboʊ-/ BrE AmE noun ( plural bogeymen /-men/) [countable]
1 . an evil spirit, especially in children’s imagination or stories
2 . someone who people think is evil or unpleasant:
Manson was and remains America’s number one bogeyman.