bugbear

See also: bug-bear

English

Alternative forms

• bug-bear

Etymology

From obsolete meaning of bug (“something terrifying”) +‎ bear. See Middle English bugge, modern bogey.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbʌɡ.bɛə(ɹ)/, /ˈbʌɡ.bɛː(ɹ)/, enPR: ˈbŭg-bâr
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbʌɡ.bɛɚ/, enPR: ˈbŭg-bär

Noun

bugbear (plural bugbears)

1. An ongoing problem; a recurring obstacle or adversity.
2. A source of dread; resentment; or irritation. [from late 16th c.]

   Synonym: pet peeve

   • 1738, Alexander Pope, Epistle I of the First Book of Horace; to Lord Bolingbroke

     But, to the world no bugbear is so great

     As want of figure and a small estate.

   • 1841, Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop, chapter 3

     What have I done to be made a bugbear of, and to be shunned and dreaded as if I brought the plague?

3. (archaic) An imaginary creature meant to inspire fear in children.

   Synonym: goblin

   • 1900, Carl Schurz, For Truth, Justice and Liberty:

     The partisans of the Administration object to the word “imperialism,” calling it a mere bugbear having no real existence.

Translations

ongoing problem

• Czech: černá můra f
• Dutch: bête noire

• Finnish: kiusa (fi), riesa (fi)

source of dread, resentment or irritation

• Bulgarian: плашило (bg) (plašilo)
• Czech: strašák (cs) m (v hlavě)
• Dutch: boeman (nl), schrikbeeld (nl)

• Finnish: henkilökohtainen mörkö, possessive determiner + peikko (fi)

imaginary creature

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 熊蜂 (zh)

• Czech: strašidlo (cs) n
• Dutch: spookbeeld (nl)
• Finnish: menninkäinen (fi), mörkö (fi)

• Greek: μπαμπούλας (el) m (bampoúlas)

  Ancient: φόβητρον n (phóbētron)

• Hungarian: mumus (hu)

See also

• bête noire
• bogeyman
• bugaboo

Verb

bugbear (third-person singular simple present bugbears, present participle bugbearing, simple past and past participle bugbeared)

1. (transitive) To alarm with idle phantoms.

Anagrams

• Burbage, rubbage