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
Synonyms
Examples of bug in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
BostonGlobe.com, 23 Aug. 2023
One thing that’s bugged me about my face for a while is its angles–or lack thereof.
—Lisa Desantis, Glamour, 21 Aug. 2023
Or stream music from the car in your headphones without bugging your road trip partner?
—Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 2023
Citizen Lab concluded that Vicente Ovalle’s phone — or other devices whose information was backed up to the phone — had been bugged by Pegasus.
—Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, 3 June 2023
That started to bug us — the idea of a giant company’s logo on this thing.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 29 July 2023
It was later revealed that the FBI had bugged Oppenheimer’s home throughout his tenure at Berkeley, the Berkeley Historical Plaque Project says.
—Amy MacKelden, Harper's BAZAAR, 21 July 2023
Over the decades, the East German state security services, known as the Stasi, watched and bugged his home, followed his car, listened to his phone calls and tried to recruit his friends and lovers.
—Christopher F. Schuetze, New York Times, 7 July 2023
But the mispronunciations that bug me the most aren’t uttered by any human.
—Saahil Desai, The Atlantic, 17 July 2023
Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023
Newer operating systems may come with bugs when they are first released, CNET reported.
—Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2023
There are also internal pockets for stowing valuables and two external stash pockets for quick access to essentials like bug spray.
—Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 20 Sep. 2023
And not only that, but one particular gene in one particular bug.
—WIRED, 19 Sep. 2023
Screaming at the sight of a bug in your room, for example, will teach them to be afraid of bugs too.
—Marisa Cohen, Parents, 18 Sep. 2023
Further protocols include sweeping aircraft and ground transport for surveillance bugs.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 17 Sep. 2023
Some protectors can even block out bed bugs, dust and other allergens from making their way into your mattress.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2023
The Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation opened May 4 and, among many other things, brings all kinds of bugs to NYC.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Sep. 2023
See More
Verb
People cited stomach bugs more than half the time as the reason for calling in ill, with the majority of sick-day requests mentioning symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea.
—BostonGlobe.com, 23 Aug. 2023
One thing that’s bugged me about my face for a while is its angles–or lack thereof.
—Lisa Desantis, Glamour, 21 Aug. 2023
Or stream music from the car in your headphones without bugging your road trip partner?
—Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 2023
Citizen Lab concluded that Vicente Ovalle’s phone — or other devices whose information was backed up to the phone — had been bugged by Pegasus.
—Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, 3 June 2023
That started to bug us — the idea of a giant company’s logo on this thing.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 29 July 2023
It was later revealed that the FBI had bugged Oppenheimer’s home throughout his tenure at Berkeley, the Berkeley Historical Plaque Project says.
—Amy MacKelden, Harper's BAZAAR, 21 July 2023
Over the decades, the East German state security services, known as the Stasi, watched and bugged his home, followed his car, listened to his phone calls and tried to recruit his friends and lovers.
—Christopher F. Schuetze, New York Times, 7 July 2023
But the mispronunciations that bug me the most aren’t uttered by any human.
—Saahil Desai, The Atlantic, 17 July 2023
Noun
That said, Brown and other bug experts largely agree that more rain often translates to more bugs.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023
Newer operating systems may come with bugs when they are first released, CNET reported.
—Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2023
There are also internal pockets for stowing valuables and two external stash pockets for quick access to essentials like bug spray.
—Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 20 Sep. 2023
And not only that, but one particular gene in one particular bug.
—WIRED, 19 Sep. 2023
Screaming at the sight of a bug in your room, for example, will teach them to be afraid of bugs too.
—Marisa Cohen, Parents, 18 Sep. 2023
Further protocols include sweeping aircraft and ground transport for surveillance bugs.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 17 Sep. 2023
Some protectors can even block out bed bugs, dust and other allergens from making their way into your mattress.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2023
The Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation opened May 4 and, among many other things, brings all kinds of bugs to NYC.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
origin unknown
Verb (2)
probably from bug entry 1
Noun (2)
Middle English bugge hobgoblin; probably akin to Low German bögge goblin
First Known Use
Noun (1)
1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1b
Verb (1)
1935, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2
Verb (2)
1865, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Noun (2)
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of bug was
in the 15th century
Phrases Containing bug
Articles Related to bug
Dictionary Entries Near bug
Cite this Entry
“Bug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bug. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids 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
Legal Definition
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
More from Merriam-Webster on bug
Nglish: Translation of bug for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of bug for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share