bugaboo

noun

bug·​a·​boo ˈbə-gə-ˌbü 

plural bugaboos

1

: an imaginary object of fear

2

: bugbear sense 2

also : something that causes fear or distress out of proportion to its importance

Synonyms

• dread
• bugbear
• bogy
• terror
• plague
• bogie
• bogey
• bête noire

Examples of bugaboo in a Sentence

politicians complaining about that old bugaboo, high oil prices

doing one's tax returns is a real bugaboo for a lot of people

Recent Examples on the Web

Recent evidence points to the Marlins being the kind of bugaboo for the New York teams, who face differing degrees of difficulty in their quests to become division winners. —Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025

Instead, the world over will have to increase more reliable energy sources, particularly coal, natural gas and that other bugaboo of environmentalists, nuclear energy. —Peter Murphy, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2025

Forget the bugaboo of EV battery range. —Mark Phelan, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025

Sitting sedately behind his host’s desk instead of standing up and jigging, Colbert informed the viewers about his guest, Senator Adam Schiff—another bugaboo to Trump—then quickly transitioned to telling the bad news. —Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 21 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

earlier buggybow, bugger-bo, of unknown origin

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bugaboo

• amadou
• avenue
• ballyhoo
• baraboo
• barbecue
• barbeque
• cabildo
• caribou
• cockatoo
• detinue
• devalue
• donohue

Kids Definition

bugaboo

noun

bug·​a·​boo ˈbəg-ə-ˌbü 

plural bugaboos

: bugbear sense 2, bogey