bugbear

noun

bug·bear | \ ˈbəg-ˌber

Definition of bugbear

1 : an imaginary goblin or specter used to excite fear

2a : an object or source of dread

b : a continuing source of irritation : problem

Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about bugbear

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Did You Know?

Bugbear sounds like some kind of grotesque hybrid creature from fable or folklore, and that very well may be what the word's creator was trying to evoke. When the word entered English in the 16th century, it referred to any kind of creature made up to frighten someone-most often a child; in 1592, Thomas Nashe wrote of "Meere bugge-beares to scare boyes." The word combines "bug," an old word for goblin, with "bear," which is perhaps what such made-up creatures were described as resembling. The "source of dread or annoyance" sense came not long after. In the late 20th century, the word found new life as the name of a particular kind of creature in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.

Examples of bugbear in a Sentence

The biggest bugbear of the skiing business is a winter with no snow. communism was once the nation's biggest bugbear

Recent Examples on the Web

Lounger-hogging like this is a constant bugbear for cruise lines; indeed, a few years ago, Carnival tested a program where staffers would patrol loungers like pool police. — Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, "Cruise Ship Etiquette Tips: A Primer For Before You Sail," 4 Sep. 2019 Fellow curmudgeons will also recognize all of my bugbears as losing battles. — Lionel Shriver, Harper's magazine, "Semantic Drift," 22 July 2019 For many in the field of sustainable investing, one of the biggest bugbears has been a lack of standardization. — Eshe Nelson, Quartz, "What counts as a “green” investment, anyway?," 25 June 2019 Surely there were more necessary areas to improve, like at center back — a position that was Mourinho’s major bugbear in preseason. — Steve Douglas, The Seattle Times, "Sanchez spark still missing for Manchester United," 24 Sep. 2018 Samsung’s other software bugbears are present on the Note 9, too. — Dan Seifert, The Verge, "Samsung Galaxy Note 9 review: more, more, more," 17 Aug. 2018 One reason for that is the backing of the European Central Bank (ECB)—ironically, a bugbear of the Italian populists. — The Economist, "Italy’s political crisis is roiling financial markets once more," 31 May 2018 His speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday was a lucid and impassioned defense of multilateral decision-making and free trade – two of Trump’s top bugbears. — Peter Ford, The Christian Science Monitor, "In back-to-back visits, Macron and Merkel look for manageable middle with Trump," 27 Apr. 2018 Fans blasted Mourinho for negative tactics, a continual bugbear of supporters pining for the more gung ho style preferred by Sir Alex Ferguson in yester years. — SI.com, "Stat Highlights Just How Poor Man Utd Were Against Sevilla in Champions League Misery," 14 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bugbear.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for bugbear

bugbear

noun

English Language Learners Definition of bugbear

: something that causes problems or annoys people

See the full definition for bugbear in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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bugbear

Definition of bugbear

Synonyms for bugbear

Did You Know?

Examples of bugbear in a Sentence

First Known Use of bugbear

English Language Learners Definition of bugbear

bugbear

Definition of bugbear

Synonyms for bugbear

Did You Know?

Examples of bugbear in a Sentence

First Known Use of bugbear

English Language Learners Definition of bugbear

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