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
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
The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026
Get clear about what’s bugging you.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 26 May 2026
Woke up this morning, still kind of bugging me.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 26 May 2026
When Riley returned to the table, La La told me that his high profile in the city sometimes bugged her, because fans were always interrupting them, even sitting down at their table.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bug
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Verb
His doctor had been bugging him for years to get a colonoscopy because of his age, but Driggers declined.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026
Get clear about what’s bugging you.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 26 May 2026
Woke up this morning, still kind of bugging me.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 26 May 2026
When Riley returned to the table, La La told me that his high profile in the city sometimes bugged her, because fans were always interrupting them, even sitting down at their table.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bug
Cite this Entry
“Bug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bug. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bug
1 of 2 noun
1
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
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