bêtes noires

noun

plural of bête noire
1
as in dreads
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason doing my own tax return is the bête noire that haunts me every April

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in enemies
something or someone that is hated in that organization's view, society's number one bête noire should be the drunk driver of a motor vehicle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bêtes noires
  1. dreads
  2. enemies
  3. spirits
  4. hates
  5. abominations
  6. nuisances
Noun
  • He's described by officials as a Black male in his late teens with a medium-large build and thick dreads.
    — Nick Lentz, CBS News, 15 June 2026
  • Mirror images except for the fact that Jelani has his hair in dreads, while Ari goes with the more retro-look afro.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
Definition of dreads
Noun
  • For decades, engineering, technical, and industrial processes first explored as methods of keeping nations safe or attacking enemies have also found their way into the civilian world.
    — Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Posture is often more important than vitality, since deathblows can be activated even if an enemy has high health, but higher health also aids faster posture recovery, both for Wolf and his enemies.
    — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of enemies
Noun
  • Dolly Parton made her final public appearance just two months before her death at the age of 80 and was in good spirits at the time.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Alcoholic beverages Wine, beer, spirits, including whiskey, vodka, gin, are all impacted.
    — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of spirits
Noun
  • On the April 14 episode of the Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club podcast, the bestselling author, whose debut adult romantasy novel Starside hit shelves on March 31, spoke with journalist Danielle Robay about all things writing — including her romance genre loves and hates.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Definition of hates
Noun
  • It a thematic fit, and after nearly 200 episodes, there’s no doubting this team’s ability to deliver fresh, new abominations.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2026
  • As the representative for the armed wing of a human empire, you're tasked with subduing these Lovecraftian abominations and securing a foothold for humanity on alien worlds.
    — Alan Bradley, Space.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Definition of abominations
Noun
  • Others argued that the report seems to cast members of the media as nuisances to be dealt with, while ignoring instances in which journalists were targeted by law enforcement.
    — Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The Kansas City City Council approved a trio of ordinances on Thursday aimed at vacant properties that become nuisances and staving off demolition of historic buildings.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of nuisances
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

bête noire
bêtes noires
bethel
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Cite this Entry

“Bêtes noires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/b%C3%AAtes%20noires. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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