bogey

1 of 3

noun (1)

bo·​gey
variants or less commonly bogie or bogy
plural bogeys also bogies
1
2
ˈbō-gē How to pronounce bogey (audio)
also
ˈbu̇- How to pronounce bogey (audio)
or
ˈbü- How to pronounce bogey (audio)
: a source of fear, perplexity, or harassment
3
\ ˈbō-​gē How to pronounce bogey (audio) \ golf
a
: one stroke over par on a hole
made a bogey on the second hole
b
chiefly British, dated : an average golfer's score used as a standard for a particular hole or course
He was the sort of player who does the first two holes in one under bogey and then takes an eleven at the third.P. G. Wodehouse
4
ˈbō-gē How to pronounce bogey (audio) : a numerical standard of performance set up as a mark to be aimed at especially in competition
5
ˈbō-gē How to pronounce bogey (audio) : an unidentified aircraft
especially : one not positively identified as friendly and so assumed to be hostile

bogey

2 of 3

verb

bo·​gey ˈbō-gē How to pronounce bogey (audio)
bogeyed; bogeying

transitive verb

: to shoot (a hole in golf) in one over par

bogey

3 of 3

noun (2)

bo·​gey

less common spelling of bogie entry 1

1
: a low strongly built cart
2
a
chiefly British : a swiveling railway truck
b
: the driving-wheel assembly consisting of the rear four wheels of a 6-wheel automotive truck
3
: a small supporting or aligning wheel (as on the inside perimeter of a tank tread)

Examples of bogey in a Sentence

Noun (1) He made a bogey on the second hole. He made bogey on the second hole. Verb She birdied the first hole but bogeyed the second hole.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Playing in the first group, Wong birdied the second hole and made up for his lone mistake (a bogey on No. 3) with birdies at seven and 11 to maintain a slim lead. Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025 Riebe carded the day’s wildest round, which included a double bogey, three bogeys, four birdies and an eagle. Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 May 2025
Verb
DeChambeau was kicked in the teeth by the Green Mile, bogeying No. 16 and dunking his tee shot on 17 before carding double bogey. Jordan Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2025 After two birdies to open the round, DeChambeau fell into a funk, bogeying three times over the next 10 holes to fall down the leaderboard. Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bogey

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

probably alteration of bogle

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bogey was in 1826

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bogey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bogey. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

bogey

noun
bo·​gey
variants also bogy or bogie
plural bogeys also bogies
1
ˈbu̇g-ē,
ˈbō-gē,
ˈbü-gē
: ghost, phantom
2
ˈbō-gē,
 also  ˈbu̇g-ē,
 or  ˈbü-gē
: something one is afraid of especially without reason

More from Merriam-Webster on bogey

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!