wampus

9.9

A creature from North American stories said to be strange and scary

noun
/ˈwæmpəs/

Literature

: wampus

Many children enjoyed the tales of the wampus, imagining it as a mystical creature living in the nearby swamps.

Examples

According to local legend, the wampus is said to roam the woods at night, scaring those who venture too close.
In her story, she described a fearsome wampus that could blend in with the shadows of the forest.
Forgive me, you first, wampus.

Motorpsycho! (1965)

Synonyms

mythical creature

vswampus

4 5.9

An imaginary being like a dragon or unicorn with magical powers

is limited to creatures in North American tall tales rather than all traditions

windigo

vswampus

NSFW

2 9.9

An evil spirit in Algonquian stories that makes people want to eat others

is a general North American folklore creature without evil possession detail

bunyip

vswampus

Australian

1 9.9

An imaginary creature from Australian stories that lives in swamps and rivers

is a North American folklore creature rather than one from Australia

mythical monster

vswampus

1 8.1

A frightening creature from stories or legends that is not real

is a folklore creature without necessarily being imagined as terrifying

whangdoodle

vswampus

Archaic

1 9.9

An imaginary creature often found in children's stories

is part of North American folklore rather than playful children's tales

Surface Forms

wampus singular

wampuses plural

Etymology

Wampus comes from North American folk tales and likely from a Native American word for a strange 'spirit' or wild animal. A helpful way to remember it is to imagine a 'mysterious' beast hiding in the woods, so a wampus is a spooky, mythical creature in local legends.