Dictionary.com

bugbear

[ buhg-bair ]
/ ˈbʌgˌbɛər /
Save This Word!

noun
any source, real or imaginary, of needless fright or fear.
a persistent problem or source of annoyance.
Folklore. a goblin that eats up naughty children.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of bugbear

First recorded in 1570–80; bug2 + bear2
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bugbear in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bugbear

bugbear
/ (ˈbʌɡˌbɛə) /

noun
a thing that causes obsessive fear or anxiety
(in English folklore) a goblin said to eat naughty children and thought to be in the form of a bear

Word Origin for bugbear

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
FEEDBACK