bugbear

C1 Topic:Emotions & Feelings

US /ˈbʌɡbɛr/ UK /ˈbʌɡbɛə/ See IPA manual

noun

Meanings

1

noun
a persistent source of irritation or annoyance

Traffic jams are a common bugbear for commuters.
2

noun
an object of dread or fear, often without real cause

The idea of public speaking is a bugbear for many people.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a persistent source of... nuisance irritant headache bother pest

2 noun · an object of dread or fear,... bogeyman goblin specter phantom spook

Opposites

delight pleasure

Etymology

From Middle English bug-/bugge ('hobgoblin; scarecrow') + bear; originally an imaginary creature used to frighten children, later a persistent source of annoyance or fear.

Topics

Emotions & Feelings Word Formation & Derivatives

# bugbear

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** ˈbʌɡbɛr
**IPA (UK):** ˈbʌɡbɛə

## Meanings
1. a persistent source of irritation or annoyance
2. an object of dread or fear, often without real cause

## Examples
- Traffic jams are a common bugbear for commuters.
- The idea of public speaking is a bugbear for many people.

## Synonyms
- nuisance
- irritant
- headache
- bother
- pest
- bogeyman
- goblin
- specter
- phantom
- spook

## Antonyms
- delight
- pleasure

## Etymology
From Middle English bug-/bugge ('hobgoblin; scarecrow') + bear; originally an imaginary creature used to frighten children, later a persistent source of annoyance or fear.

## AI Etymology
Bugbear comes from Middle English bug-/bugge ('hobgoblin; scarecrow') + bear; originally an imaginary creature used to frighten children, later a persistent source of annoyance or fear. In current use it is a noun meaning "a persistent source of irritation or annoyance". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The semantic development is therefore important as well as the form: the word moves from the older concrete, technical, or literal setting into the present figurative or specialized sense.

## Topics
- Emotions & Feelings
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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bugbear

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