bugbear

[ buhg-bair ]
See synonyms for bugbear on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. any source, real or imaginary, of needless fright or fear.

  2. a persistent problem or source of annoyance.

  1. Folklore. a goblin that eats up naughty children.

Origin of bugbear

1
First recorded in 1570–80; bug2 + bear2

Words Nearby bugbear

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How to use bugbear in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bugbear

bugbear

/ (ˈbʌɡˌbɛə) /


noun
  1. a thing that causes obsessive fear or anxiety

  2. (in English folklore) a goblin said to eat naughty children and thought to be in the form of a bear

Origin of bugbear

1
C16: from bug ² + bear ²; compare bugaboo

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012