bug
noun
a hemipterous insect.
bug
1 American
[buhg]
/ bʌg /
noun
-
Also called hemipteron. Also called true bug, hemipteran. a hemipterous insect.
-
(loosely) any insect or insectlike invertebrate.
-
Informal. any microorganism, especially a virus.
He was laid up for a week by an intestinal bug.
-
Informal. a defect or imperfection, as in a mechanical device, computer program, or plan; glitch.
The test flight discovered the bugs in the new plane.
-
Informal.
-
a person who has a great enthusiasm for something; fan or hobbyist.
My wife is a real adventure bug, so we had a pretty thrilling, action-packed holiday.
-
a craze or obsession.
He's got the sports-car bug.
-
-
Informal.
-
a hidden microphone or other electronic eavesdropping device.
-
any of various small mechanical or electrical gadgets, as one to influence a gambling device, give warning of an intruder, or indicate location.
-
-
a mark, as an asterisk, that indicates a particular item, level, etc.
-
Horse Racing. the five-pound weight allowance that can be claimed by an apprentice jockey.
-
a telegraph key that automatically transmits a series of dots when moved to one side and one dash when moved to the other.
-
Poker Slang. a joker that can be used only as an ace or as a wild card to fill a straight or a flush.
-
Printing. a label printed on certain matter to indicate that it was produced by a union shop.
-
any of various fishing plugs resembling an insect.
-
Chiefly British. a bedbug.
verb (used with object)
Informal.
-
bugs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
bugged,
past participle, past
-
bugging
present participle
verb phrase
-
bug off to leave or depart, especially rapidly.
I can't help you, so bug off.
-
bug out to flee in panic; show panic or alarm.
idioms
bug
2
American
[buhg]
/ bʌg /
noun
Obsolete.
Bug
3
American
[buhg, book]
/ bʌg, buk /
noun
-
Also called Western Bug. a river in E central Europe, rising in W Ukraine and forming part of the boundary between Poland and Ukraine, flowing NW to the Vistula River in Poland. 450 miles (725 km) long.
-
Also called Southern Bug. a river in SW Ukraine flowing SE to the Dnieper estuary. About 530 miles (850 km) long.
bug
1
British
/ bʌɡ /
noun
Bug
2
British
/ buk /
noun
-
Also called: Southern Bug. a river in E Europe, rising in W Ukraine and flowing southeast to the Dnieper estuary and the Black Sea. Length: 853 km (530 miles)
-
Also called: Western Bug. a river in E Europe, rising in SW Ukraine and flowing northwest to the River Vistula in Poland, forming part of the border between Poland and Ukraine. Length: 724 km (450 miles)
bug
3
British
/ bʌɡ /
verb
bug
4
British
/ bʌɡ /
noun
-
any insect of the order Hemiptera , esp any of the suborder Heteroptera , having piercing and sucking mouthparts specialized as a beak (rostrum) See also assassin bug bedbug chinch bug
-
any insect, such as the June bug or the Croton bug
-
informal
-
a microorganism, esp a bacterium, that produces disease
-
a disease, esp a stomach infection, caused by a microorganism
-
-
informal an obsessive idea, hobby, etc; craze (esp in the phrases get the bug, be bitten by the bug, the bug bites, etc)
-
informal a person having such a craze; enthusiast
-
informal (often plural) an error or fault, as in a machine or system, esp in a computer or computer program
-
informal a concealed microphone used for recording conversations, as in spying
-
(in poker) a joker used as an ace or wild card to complete a straight or flush
verb
-
(tr) to irritate; bother
-
(tr) to conceal a microphone in (a room, etc)
-
(intr) (of eyes) to protrude
bug
Scientific
/ bŭg /
-
An insect belonging to the suborder Heteroptera.
-
See more at true bug
-
An insect, spider, or similar organism. Not in scientific use.
bug
Cultural
bug
More Idioms
Usage
What is a basic definition of bug? The word bug is used loosely to mean an insect or creature that resembles an insect. Bug is also used to mean a glitch or imperfection, as in a computer program. Bug is used as a verb to mean to bother or annoy someone. Bug has many other uses as a noun and verb. The word bug is used as a catch-all term for small, creepy pests. In general usage, it is used interchangeably with the word insect to refer to things like ants, bees, beetles, and even spiders. Scientists, though, use the words bug and insect to mean slightly different things. Insect refers to organisms that belong to Insecta, a very large class of animals whose members have a three-part body, six legs, and usually two pairs of wings. Scientists use bug (or true bug) to refer to the members of the order Hemiptera, which is within the Insecta class. Hemiptera members include cicadas, aphids, and stink bugs.
- Used in a sentence: He sat in the tent to try and avoid the bugs outside.
- Used in a sentence: The company didn’t release the new laptop until it had fixed all of the bugs.
- Used in a sentence: Tom was bugged by his son jumping up and down while begging for ice cream.
Discover More
The term originated in the 1940s when the examination of a large computer revealed that an actual insect had landed on one of the circuits, shorting it out and shutting the machine down.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
bugsimple
-
bugssimple
-
have buggedperfect
-
has buggedperfect
-
am buggingprogressive
-
are buggingprogressive
-
is buggingprogressive
-
have been buggingperfect progressive
-
has been buggingperfect progressive
Past
-
buggedsimple
-
had buggedperfect
-
was buggingprogressive
-
were buggingprogressive
-
had been buggingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bug1
First recorded in 1615–25; 1885–90 bug 1 for def. 4; 1910–15 bug 1 for def. 5a; 1915–20 bug 1 for def. 14; 1945–50 bug 1 for def. 15; earlier bugge “beetle,” apparently alteration of Middle English budde, Old English -budda “beetle”; the sense “leave” (in bug off ) is obscurely related to other senses and perhaps is of distinct origin
Origin of bug2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English bugge “scarecrow, demon, hobgoblin”; further origin unknown
Explanation
A bug is an insect. You might refuse to go camping because of your intense dislike for bugs. Bug can also be a verb meaning "annoy." Most likely, bugs bug you. There are bugs you can see, like bees, and bugs that are much smaller, like viruses and bacteria. If you get one of these microscopic bugs, it means you're sick. You can also say, casually, "I've caught the model train bug — I'm hooked!" A microphone that's hidden in someone's home or telephone is also a bug, named after its small size. To bug someone means either to spy on them, or simply to bother them relentlessly.
Vocabulary lists containing bug
Computer Science and Technology - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Computer Science and Technology - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Computer Science and Technology - High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The negative mental-health impact of social media isn’t a bug, it’s a feature.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
And at a time when nostalgia is driving much of TV programming, the style’s familiarity may be a feature, not a bug.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
“While advancements in biomechanics and technology have significantly improved our understanding of pitching mechanics and performance optimization,” Mr. Friedman writes, “the injury bug remains elusive.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
A cheap currency isn’t a bug in China’s growth model.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
"Yeah. Those bug bites cleared up pretty fast, didn't they? What'd you use? Vitamin E cream?"
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
First, on the day of the crime, she told police that two white men with long hair and similar builds got out of a car, a purple and pink Volkswagen Bug, and entered Black’s garage.
From Slate ● Feb. 13, 2026
Siegrist pounced, handing over his father’s old Ford Falcon and $2,278.54 for the Bug.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 30, 2025
Dad’s too preoccupied to fully react, however: Bug is busy trying to pay for the wedding with an exotic toad from Colorado.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2024
The account that features Esmee, who is nicknamed "Bug", from Northamptonshire, has more than 470,000 followers.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2024
Doo-Doo Bug said, “I see Mr. C.’s got Loudean’s carburetor tore down again, anything wrong?”
From "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis
While the cases are spread out, scientists used a type of comprehensive genetic fingerprinting called whole-genome sequencing, which revealed the bugs involved are all closely related.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
The research adds to growing interest in a strategy known as "bugs as drugs."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
August is peak season for the bugs in L.A., she said, citing data from iNaturalist, a citizen science app.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
The government removed the bugs when the war ended, but some wiring was left behind and is now on display at the museum, which opened as part of redevelopment by a property company.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Next we tried all manner of bugs and vegetation.
From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate
Now it has become a museum called Trent Park House of Secrets, which highlights the role of the team of German speakers, most of them Jewish refugees, who transcribed titbits from the prisoners' bugged conversations.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
My department chairman intervened, and I avoided arrest—though a student later told me my apartment was likely bugged.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
“Oh, I bugged everybody from my siblings and neighbors. And I’d kick it with anybody that wanted to give me some attention,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
Vice Presidential nominee JD Vance told podcaster Joe Rogan on Thursday that he bugged out from a game of mini-golf after he heard of Donald Trump's assassination attempt.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2024
They bugged me, but that was their way of being nice to me.
From "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Nature-loving travelers from around the globe are bugging out over the fireflies, descending en masse on isolated stretches of the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
I’m like, “I have a headphone in my ear and I’m really busy working. You’re kind of bugging me right now.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026
“What is bugging me is I think our voter rolls may be more accurate than this database,” Phillips said.
From Salon ● Feb. 27, 2026
She insisted she was not in the least bit techy and was able to build her company after a lot of sleepless nights, research and "bugging people" who know about tech.
From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2025
In their room at the Sleepy Inn, Malcolm is bugging the hell out of Annabelle, who is sprawled on the bed in her monkey pajamas.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
