plural bugs
1
a
: any of an order (Hemiptera and especially its suborder Heteroptera) of insects (such as an assassin bug or chinch bug) that have sucking mouthparts, forewings thickened at the base, and incomplete metamorphosis and are often economic pests
called also true bug
b
: any of various small arthropods (such as a beetle or spider) resembling the true bugs
c
: any of several insects (such as a head louse) commonly considered obnoxious
2
: an unexpected defect, fault, flaw, or imperfection
The software was full of bugs.
3
a
: a microorganism (such as a bacterium or virus) especially when causing illness or disease
b
: an often unspecified or nonspecific sickness presumed to be caused by such a microorganism
a stomach bug
4
: a concealed listening device
5
: a sudden enthusiasm
6
: enthusiast
a camera bug
7
: a prominent person
8
informal + disparaging
: a mentally unsound person
9
[from its designation by an asterisk on race programs]
: a weight allowance given apprentice jockeys
bugged; bugging
2
: to plant a concealed microphone in
: to lose one's composure : freak
—often used with out
bugged; bugging
of the eyes
: to cause to bug
his eyes were bugged with horror
Examples of bug in a Sentence
Noun (1)
a camera bug who loves taking candid shots at fairs and festivals
I can't go to work today because I've caught some bug that's going around
a bug with a fascination for committing arson
Verb (1)
these incessant phone calls are really starting to bug me
I hate to bug you, but could you help me move this table?
Recent Examples on the Web
Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2025
Ralph Macchio on the one thing that still bugs him about Karate Kid Part II
My Cousin Vinny tells the story of three bombastic Italian-Americans caught up in an over-the-top legal drama.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 24 Mar. 2025
Kate O'Flaherty, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Teoscar back in the lineup Outfielder Teoscar Hernández will return to the lineup against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday after missing the last two games with a stomach bug.
—Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bug
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Verb
Aaron Boone said Bellinger’s back started bugging him during Thursday’s game against the Diamondbacks.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2025
Ralph Macchio on the one thing that still bugs him about Karate Kid Part II
My Cousin Vinny tells the story of three bombastic Italian-Americans caught up in an over-the-top legal drama.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
The second bug patched in iOS 18.4.1 is a flaw in RPAC tracked as CVE-2025-31201 and reported by Apple.
—Kate O'Flaherty, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Teoscar back in the lineup Outfielder Teoscar Hernández will return to the lineup against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday after missing the last two games with a stomach bug.
—Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bug
Cite this Entry
“Bug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bug. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bug
1 of 2 noun1
a
: an insect (as a beetle) or other creeping or crawling invertebrate animal (as a centipede)
b
: any of an order of insects (as bedbugs and stinkbugs) that have sucking mouthparts and the forewings part leathery and part membranous and that undergo incomplete metamorphosis
called also true bug
2
: an unexpected mistake or imperfection
a bug in a computer program
3
: a disease-producing germ
also
: a disease caused by it
4
: fan entry 3, enthusiast
a camera bug
5
: a concealed listening device
bug
2 of 2 verb
bugged; bugging
1
: to place a concealed microphone in
3
: freak entry 3
—usually used with out
Medical Definition
bug
noun1
a
: an insect or other creeping or crawling invertebrate animal (as a spider)
—not used technically
b
: any of various insects (as the bedbug or cockroach) commonly considered obnoxious
c
: any of the order Hemiptera and especially of its suborder Heteroptera of insects that have sucking mouthparts, forewings thickened at the base, and that lack a pupal stage between the immature stages and the adult
called also true bug
2
a
: a microorganism (such as a bacterium or virus) especially when causing illness or disease
Enterococcus faecium, an especially nasty bug, often shrugs off even vancomycin, a last-resort antibiotic.—Avery Comarow, U.S. News & World Report
Avery Comarow, U.S. News & World Report
b
: an often unspecified or nonspecific sickness presumed to be caused by such a microorganism
a stomach bug
suffering from the flu bug
Geographical Definition
Bug
geographical name
1
river over 450 miles (720 kilometers) long in central Europe rising in western Ukraine, forming part of Ukraine–Poland and Poland–Belarus borders, and flowing into the Vistula River in Poland
2
river over 500 miles (805 kilometers) long in southwestern Ukraine flowing southeast to the estuary of the Dnieper River
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