bête noire

bête noire

noun \ˌbet-ˈnwär, ˌbāt-\

plural bêtes noires\ˌbet-ˈnwär(z), ˌbāt-\

Definition of BÊTE NOIRE

: a person or thing strongly detested or avoided : bugbear

Examples of BÊTE NOIRE

1. a politician who is the bête noire of liberal groups
2. <doing my own tax return is the bête noire that haunts me every April>

Origin of BÊTE NOIRE

French, literally, black beast

First Known Use: 1828

Related to BÊTE NOIRE

Synonyms: bogey, black beast, bugaboo, bugbear, dread, hobgoblin, ogre

Antonyms: love

Related Words: apparition, ghost, phantasm (also fantasm), phantom, poltergeist, shade, specter (or spectre), spirit, spook, wraith; banshee, bogeyman (also bogyman), demon (or daemon), devil, fiend, ghoul, imp, incubus; fright, horrible, horror, monster, monstrosity, terror; bane, curse, enemy, plague, scourge, torment; abomination, anathema

Near Antonyms: beloved, darling, dear, honey, sweetheart; delight, enjoyment, felicity, joy, pleasure; favorite, like, preference; treasure

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with BÊTE NOIRE

Adar, Adzhar, afar, ajar, all-star, armoire, attar, bar car, bazaar, beaux arts, beurre noir, Bihar, bizarre, boudoir, boxcar, boyar, Bronze Star, bulbar, Bulgar, bursar, bus bar, canard, cash bar, catarrh, Cathar, chair car, chukar, cigar, clochard, club car, coal tar, cougar, couloir, crossbar, crowbar, Dakar, daystar, debar, decare, devoir, dinar, disbar, Dog Star, drawbar, durbar, earthstar, Elgar, eschar, eyebar, feldspar, fern bar, film noir, five-star, fixed star, flatcar, fluorspar, four-star, fulmar, gaydar, gazar, guitar, Gunnar, Hagar, handcar, horsecar, hussar, Invar, Iyar, jaguar, Kádár, leaf scar, Lehár, lidar, Lifar, Loire, lounge car, lumbar, jack-tar, jowar, Khowar, lahar, lekvar, lodestar, Magyar, malar, memoir, Mylar, NASCAR, Navarre, nightjar, North Star, pace car, paillard, peignoir, pinch bar, Pindar, pine tar, pissoir, planar, plantar, polestar, pourboire, prowl car, pulsar, Qatar, qintar, quasar, radar, railcar, raw bar, rebar, red star, roll bar, Safar, Samar, sandbar, scalar, scout car, Sennar, shofar, sidebar, sidecar, sirdar, sitar, slop jar, slot car, snack bar, sofar, solar, sonar, sports bar, sports car, stock car, streetcar, Svalbard, sway bar, tank car, T-bar, toolbar, town car, tramcar, trocar, unbar, volar, voussoir, Weimar