1
as in dread
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
communism was once the nation's biggest bugbear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in headache
something that is a source of irritation
hated all the bugbears of modern life, especially those long commutes to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of bugbear
By Arash Azizi American leftists are facing a question that has become a perennial bugbear.
—
Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024
The latest edition of this survey, out this week, found that EV’s perennial bugbear is still bugbearing.
—Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 29 Feb. 2024
The world right now may not be entirely ready for EV’s, with bugbears like charging station availability and battery life, but Plug-In Electric Hybrids are a viable alternative.
—Jon Bird, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
The year was 2000 and then-state Sen. Adam Schiff was challenging incumbent Republican Rep. James Rogan, who’d become a national star and liberal bugbear for leading impeachment proceedings against President Clinton.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bugbear 
Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024
The latest edition of this survey, out this week, found that EV’s perennial bugbear is still bugbearing.
—Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 29 Feb. 2024
The world right now may not be entirely ready for EV’s, with bugbears like charging station availability and battery life, but Plug-In Electric Hybrids are a viable alternative.
—Jon Bird, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
The year was 2000 and then-state Sen. Adam Schiff was challenging incumbent Republican Rep. James Rogan, who’d become a national star and liberal bugbear for leading impeachment proceedings against President Clinton.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bugbear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugbear
Noun
-
Mondays used to fill many of us with dread at the thought of returning to a rigid office environment.Steve Osler, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
-
New developments in generative AI have sparked existential dread in many film professionals, who fear that their jobs could someday be rendered obsolete.Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Exposure to high concentrations can cause people to lose consciousness and can lead to long-term effects such as headaches, poor attention span, poor memory and poor motor function, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.Noelle Phillips, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
-
Common symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, sneezing, coughing, mild headache, and a low-grade fever.Brandi Jones, MSN-Ed, Health, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
And despite getting Anthony Rizzo to pop up for the second out, the long-ball bugaboo bit him against Volpe.Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
-
Durability is an age-old bugaboo of vaccine designers.ByJon Cohen, science.org, 11 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
What have been your roses and thorns from that experience?Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2024
-
In the 16th-18th centuries, vessels filled with nails, thorns, hair, and other materials, were used as a form of ritual protection against witches.The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
In journalism circles, Mezrich is known as one of the great nuisances of modern nonfiction — a man who has built his career making things up.Simon van Zuylen-Wood, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
-
The county contends the plastic pollution traced to products made by the companies constitutes a public nuisance that they must be forced to redress.Nate Raymond, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
At a rally in North Carolina last week, Trump mentioned Obama getting back on the trail and made his voice tremble in fake terror before dismissing him.Alex Thompson, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024
-
In four days, the coin will land, and half of the country will either exhale with relief or shudder in terror.Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
But with crucial deadlines and the land deal itself hanging in the balance, the county’s apparent lack of movement was a source of frustration at Tuesday’s supervisors meeting.Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
-
Voter frustrations with the economy and immigration are fueling Trump’s slight advantage among Arizona voters.Stephanie Murray, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Gleeson’s Puck is a malevolent hobgoblin who serves as the royal jester to King Auberon of Faerie.Denise Petski, Deadline, 2 July 2024
-
Sightings of the mythical Nain Rouge, a red hobgoblin or dwarf that appears on the eve of tragedy, date to Detroit's origin — and locals have reclaimed the spirit with an annual march to scare the demon away, according to tradition.Detroit Free Press, Detroit Free Press, 24 Mar. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near bugbear
Cite this Entry
“Bugbear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugbear. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share