bugaboo

American

[buhg-uh-boo] / ˈbʌg əˌbu /

noun

plural

bugaboos

something that causes fear or worry; bugbear; bogy.

bugaboo British

/ ˈbʌɡəˌbuː /

noun

an imaginary source of fear; bugbear; bogey

"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

Etymology

Origin of bugaboo

1730–40; earlier buggybow. See bogy ¹, boo ¹

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.

But the latest bugaboo from the banking lobby is the possibility of other companies rewarding customers for using stablecoins.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 2025

And despite getting Anthony Rizzo to pop up for the second out, the long-ball bugaboo bit him against Volpe.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2024

The problem in the eyes of many pundits is the old bugaboo that President Bill Clinton’s political guru, James Carville, cited as the number one issue in every election: “It’s the economy, stupid!”

From Seattle Times • Apr. 26, 2022

That could help the Bearcats counter their bugaboo, their 101st-ranked strength of schedule.

From Washington Post • Nov. 16, 2021

McMillan and Alvarez returned from Los Alamos impatient to try out new approaches they had conceived to address that old bugaboo, the relativistic barrier to higher energies.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023