noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bedbug
Explanation
A bedbug is like a tiny vampire that lives in mattresses and couches, feeding on human and animal blood. About the size of an apple seed, these insects are especially frightening in large groups. Bedbugs are tiny, flat insects that feed on human and animal blood, usually at night. These pests have coexisted with humans for thousands of years, hitchhiking around the world in luggage and clothing. Despite their name suggesting a preference for beds, bedbugs can also conceal themselves in unexpected places like electronics and behind wallpaper. Their ability to hide and travel with unsuspecting hosts makes them terrifying invaders in any environment.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
That means that many bedbug encounters go unreported to a government agency, he suggested.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2024
The bedbug break-out during Paris fashion week this fall was obviously horrifying, but the bad news doesn’t stop there.
From Slate ● Nov. 19, 2023
In Hong Kong, recent reports of a bedbug sighting on an airport train led to several days of feverish news coverage.
From New York Times ● Nov. 18, 2023
There are about 90 species worldwide, although the common bedbug cimex lectularius has adapted the best to human environments, according to the British Pest Control Association.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2023
The door opened and her Mama came in and told Portia that Miss Brown had said she found a bedbug in her room.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
If bedbugs are found, it recommends washing everything at a high temperature before putting items in a plastic bag and deep freezing for at least three days.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
He often gets bitten by bedbugs and walks with a cane, making climbing up and down from his bed difficult.
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
At night, bedbugs nibbled at the 312 people laying like sardines on the floor of Namazi’s section of Ward 4.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
In 2022, the Disneyland Resort agreed to pay $100,000 to a resort hotel guest in a lawsuit settlement addressing claims she was bitten by bedbugs during a visit in 2018.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2025
"And ain't the bedbugs going to get a surprise!"
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
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.
