BUGBEAR Synonyms: 99 Similar and Opposite Words

bugbear

noun

ˈbəg-ˌber

Definition of bugbear

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

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

Example 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 This has been one of its main bugbears for years, with several engine types experimented with. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026 Timings, though, can often be a bugbear. — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026 The turbulence created in a car’s wake is the eternal bugbear of F1 fans and rulemakers. — ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026 Take The Mandibles, a book that revolves around the national debt, long a bugbear of hers. — Adelle Waldman, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bugbear

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugbear

Noun

The joy Lisa has with her RHUGT cast compared with the dread her RHOSLC cast seems to bring her really bums me out — especially because of how much of this trip is championing the sisterhood of Housewives.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
Along with this came the profound dread that straight white men (like me) felt about saying a single wrong sentence and facing the possibility of permanent exile without forgiveness.

— Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of dread

Noun

This thing of like trying to paint a certain type or color or class of people as the enemy and the great bugaboo in America?

— Jim Ryan, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
If there’s any big bugaboo in his profile, he can be beaten by higher-end velocity, but his ability to adjust to secondary offerings keeps him afloat.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026

Definition of bugaboo

Noun

Earlier in August, A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to contribute $567 million to an abatement fund as part of a public nuisance case centering on child-safety allegations.

— Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
In March, a New Mexico jury and judge fined Meta over $900 million after the state’s attorney general argued that its platforms created a public nuisance.

— Steve Kopack, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of nuisance

Noun

Blanche’s immediate predecessor, Pam Bondi, was ousted in April after failing to deliver successful prosecutions against the president’s political enemies.

— Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Rather than law enforcement authorities like the Coast Guard having to seize a vessel under civil seizure laws, the Department of Defense, usually through military force, can seize an enemy vessel instead.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of enemy

Noun

Acceptance moves you out of frustration and into a place of proactivity.

— R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
Troops in this area have sustained heavy casualties in battles with the regional Islamic State affiliate, and analysts and security sources say frustration with the government is mounting within frontline units.

— Reuters, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of frustration

Browse Nearby Words

bugaboos

bugbear

bugbears

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Style

“Bugbear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugbear. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of bugbear

noun

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