Bug-a-boo
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈbʌɡəbuː/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Bug-a-boo is a noun meaning A mythical, nocturnal creature; a hobgoblin.
Meaning
A mythical, nocturnal creature; a hobgoblin.
More Meanings
- Any imagined fear or threat, or a fear presumed larger than it really is.
Example Sentences
“Oh! Of all the intolerable bugaboos. Gentlemen, this is a family discu-- Oh!”
...a fear had come upon them, and they had a kind of bug-a-boo terror about roving gangsters.
The German ubu, as well as the French bibou, is also used for bug-a-boo, hobgoblin, or any other fantastical, terrific nocturnal object.
There is the Goody-good Bug-a-boo, the Consistency Bug-a-boo, and the Bug-a-boo that Thomas Jefferson if he were living now, would never never ride in a carriage. Each of these bug-a-boos in the general mistiness and muddleheadedness of the time can be seen going about, saying "Boo! Boo!" to this democracy .
Word Forms
- bugaboo
Synonyms for bug-a-boo
Depending on context, synonyms include goblin.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include bugaboo, bogglebo, bogle, boggleboe, hobgoblin, boggle.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.