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Definition of "boo-boo" [boo-boo]

  • Informal A stupid mistake; a blunder: "the petty talking points, peripheral issues, tactical boo-boos, and small-bore scandals that regularly intrude on campaigns” ( New Republic). (noun)
  • Informal A slight physical injury, such as a scratch. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "boo-boo" in a sentence
  • "I had always thought that the word boo-boo originated as “bubo”—the infected, swollen lymph nodes that characterized bubonic plague."
  • "It's called The Concentrate but it could just as easily be called boo-boo magic."
  • "(I kind of ran out of steam by “boo-boo”, sorry …)"