bugbear
Americannoun
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any source, real or imaginary, of needless fright or fear.
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a persistent problem or source of annoyance.
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Folklore. a goblin that eats up naughty children.
noun
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a thing that causes obsessive fear or anxiety
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(in English folklore) a goblin said to eat naughty children and thought to be in the form of a bear
Etymology
Origin of bugbear
Vocabulary lists containing bugbear
"The Minister's Black Veil," Vocabulary from the short story
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"A Vindication of the Rights of Woman," Vocabulary from the political argument
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Four Star Words from Annie Proulx's "Rough Deeds"
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
