fee-faw-fum

noun

ˌfēˌfȯˈfəm

variants or fee-fo-fum

-fōˈ-

plural -s

1

: a bloodthirsty person : ogre

were all fee-faw-fums … and the sooner that was admitted, the sooner some sort of solution could be reached

—William Manchester

2

: something designed to impose upon the timid and ignorant

black magic or whatever is the technical name for this sort of fee-fo-fum

—J. C. Snaith

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!