Definition of bugaboo
bugaboos
1 : an imaginary object of fear
2 : bugbear 2; also : something that causes fear or distress out of proportion to its importance
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Examples of bugaboo in a Sentence
politicians complaining about that old bugaboo, high oil prices
doing one's tax returns are a real bugaboo for some people
Recent Examples of bugaboo from the Web
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And this one is free of all the nasty jungle bugaboos that usually enjoy dining on visitors.
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There are dozens of autism mailing lists, specializing in diet, allergies, gastrointestinal problems, and the real bugaboo – vaccines, which many parents believe to be the cause of the condition.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bugaboo'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of bugaboo
earlier buggybow, bugger-bo, of unknown origin
First Known Use: 1598
BUGABOO Defined for English Language Learners
bugaboo
playDefinition of bugaboo for English Language Learners
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: something that makes people very worried or upset
Learn More about bugaboo
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See words that rhyme with bugaboo Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bugaboo Spanish Central: Translation of bugaboo Nglish: Translation of bugaboo for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of bugaboo for Arabic speakers
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