bugbear: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Slightly formal, literary. Common in journalism and opinion writing.
Quick answer
What does “bugbear” mean?
A source of persistent, irrational fear, anxiety, or annoyance.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A source of persistent, irrational fear, anxiety, or annoyance.
An object of obsessive dread; a recurring problem or pet peeve; originally, a mythical hobgoblin or monster used to frighten children.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Slightly more common in British English, but well-understood in both. The original folkloric sense is more likely referenced in UK contexts.
Connotations
In both varieties, it carries a slightly archaic, colourful flavour. It is often used with a knowing tone about the irrationality of the fear.
Frequency
Low-frequency in everyday speech, but stable in written prose, particularly editorials and critiques.
Grammar
How to Use “bugbear” in a Sentence
X is a bugbear for YX's bugbear is YThe bugbear of XVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bugbear” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The issue continues to bugbear the committee.
American English
- The policy bugbears small enterprises.
adjective
British English
- He had a bugbear list of complaints.
American English
- The bugbear issue for voters is inflation.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
'Late payments are the perennial bugbear of small business owners.'
Academic
'Methodological inconsistency remained the bugbear of the field for decades.'
Everyday
'My biggest bugbear is people who don't refill the coffee machine.'
Technical
Rare. Might appear in historical or folkloric studies: 'The bugbear was a common figure in medieval cautionary tales.'
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bugbear”
- Misspelling as 'bug-bear' or 'bug bear'. It is a closed compound.
- Confusing it with 'bogeyman' (which is more purely a frightening figure, less an annoyance).
- Using it to mean a simple, one-off problem rather than a persistent one.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Very similar, but 'bugbear' often implies a deeper, more persistent, and sometimes more irrational anxiety, while 'pet peeve' is a lighter, more everyday annoyance.
No, it is exclusively negative, denoting a source of fear, dread, or irritation.
It has an old-fashioned origin, but it remains in modern use, particularly in writing. It adds a slightly literary or colourful tone.
In modern usage, it most commonly refers to a persistent annoyance or complaint. The sense of 'monster' or 'thing that causes fear' is now less frequent but informs the word's connotations.
A source of persistent, irrational fear, anxiety, or annoyance.
Bugbear is usually slightly formal, literary. common in journalism and opinion writing. in register.
Bugbear: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbʌɡbeə(r)/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbʌɡber/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A bugbear of the first order (meaning: an extreme or primary annoyance).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a BEAR with BUGs crawling on it. The sight is your biggest, most irrational FEAR and ANNOYANCE combined.
Conceptual Metaphor
A PROBLEM/ANNOVANCE IS A MONSTER (that haunts you).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'bugbear' used CORRECTLY?