bugbears

noun

Definition of bugbearsnext
plural of bugbear
1
as in dreads
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 headaches
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugbears
  1. headaches
  2. terrors
  3. frustrations
  4. enemies
  5. annoyances
  6. irritants
Noun
  • The common symptoms are nausea, stomach pain, fever, headaches, and body aches.
    Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Signs of low magnesium levels include nausea and vomiting, fatigue, headaches, muscle cramps, decreased appetite, poor sleep, and heart palpitations.
    Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, RDN, Health, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of headaches
Noun
  • Watch Egerton discuss his airline travel terrors in the clip above.
    EW.com, EW.com, 10 Dec. 2024
  • The most recent entry, Evil Dead Rise, stars Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland as two sisters trapped in a high-rise apartment as their family is possessed by supernatural terrors.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of terrors
Noun
  • Healthcare professionals have long struggled with abuse, often exacerbated by patient frustrations over long wait times and systemic inefficiencies.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Mangione, reportedly motivated by anger toward corporate practices, is said to have been driven by similar frustrations that these lawsuits target, especially concerning the inflated costs of essential drugs.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of frustrations
Noun
  • In the Prime Video clip overlaid with a theme track, the protagonist can be seen preparing to do battle against enemies who have arrived at his house, as the tension ratchets up.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 24 Dec. 2024
  • This is precisely what Patel has threatened to do by calling for retribution against political enemies.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of enemies
Noun
  • The Hightail also has drastically reduced maintenance needs, which remove frequent annoyances like engine rebuilds, oil changes, and air filter replacements.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Dec. 2024
  • Much of the testimony, as is typical when corporate figures are summoned before Congress to discuss the public’s annoyances with their industries, was slippery.
    Melvin Backman, Quartz, 4 Dec. 2024
Definition of annoyances
Noun
  • Avoid direct contact with chemicals and any other irritants.
    Carrie Madormo, RN, Health, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Protection From Environmental Factors Protect your hands from environmental irritants by wearing good-quality gloves or mittens in cold, dry weather.
    Carrie Madormo, RN, Health, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of irritants
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near bugbears

bugbear

bugbears

bugeye

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Bugbears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugbears. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on bugbears

Nglish: Translation of bugbears for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of bugbears for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...