BÊTES NOIRES Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

bêtes noires

noun

plural of bête noire

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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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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bêtes noires

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

Since coming to power in 2012, the ruling populist party has gradually established control over mainstream media while often describing embattled critical outlets as enemies of the state.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
Raz, in his MDA talk, said the backlash against Israel was a campaign orchestrated by radical activists and Israel’s enemies.

— Stewart Ain, Sun Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of enemies

Noun

There was a famous movie in the ’80s called ‘The Entity,’ a horror movie where a woman is visited by spirits and has sex with them.

— Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026
These adaptogenics also cost as much, if not more, than alcoholic spirits, such as Three Spirit, which incorporates ingredients such as guayusa (stimulating effects), damiana (aphrodisiac effects) and valerian (stress-relieving effects).

— Esther Tseng, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of spirits

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

The petition sought to classify data centers as industrial nuisances, arguing that a ban would protect residents’ property and preserve city resources, such as water and electricity.

— Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026
The number of bears killed by motor vehicle strikes, euthanized as nuisances because of conflicts with humans or poached in the Central Florida region over the past decade total about 1,900.

— Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of nuisances

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bête noire

bêtes noires

bethel

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“Bêtes noires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/b%C3%AAtes%20noires. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of bêtes noires

noun

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