bug 1 of 2

noun

ˈbəg How to pronounce bug (audio)
Definition of bugnext
1
as in sucker
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something a camera bug who loves taking candid shots at fairs and festivals

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning I can't go to work today because I've caught some bug that's going around

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bug

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts these incessant phone calls are really starting to bug me

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to bother
to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation I hate to bug you, but could you help me move this table?

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bug
Noun
If warm and dry conditions persist into fall, cool-season pests like rodents, Asian lady beetles, and boxelder bugs may show up later than normal. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 25 Sep. 2026 One resident also reported bed bugs, though the report said staff didn’t change the bedsheets. — Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
However, in-flight cabin etiquette is only one part of what’s bugging travelers this summer. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026 Which Iowa cities ranked on the national list for worst bed bugs? — Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for bug
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bug
  1. sucker
  2. disease
  3. annoy
  4. bother
  5. lover
  6. ailment
  7. irritate
  8. worry
Noun
  • These sucker shoots can quickly form a thicket of stems that are unsightly, inherently weak, and prone to storm damage if allowed to mature.
    — Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2026
  • One was a regional distributor of garbage trucks, street sweepers, and sewer suckers for municipalities.
    — Eric Zwick, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of sucker
Noun
  • Instead, the defense sought to persuade the jury that the 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse was not criminally responsible because of mental disease, a rare condition called postpartum psychosis.
    — MICHAEL CASEY, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The growing range of treatment options marks a shift from seeking a cure to focusing on avoiding the disease entirely.
    — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of disease
Verb
  • Part of me is annoyed that the process didn’t hand me a neat solution.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Taking out anger and frustration on an innocent bystander is a surefire way to annoy those around you.
    — Joey Skladany, Travel + Leisure, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of annoy
Verb
  • In Levittown, the cost-cutting builders at first hadn’t even bothered with tanks and had installed cesspools instead—three decades later, the suburb’s sewer system was still under construction.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Professionally, Bernat didn’t bother to answer a Florida Department of Health administrative complaint detailing the charges in the Alzheimer patient’s case.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of bother
Noun
  • The supporting cast is well stocked with character actors who bring humor and pathos to this gaggle of spouses, friends, lovers and bootleggers.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Orr’s trail repairs come at a time when outdoors lovers are feeling particularly protective of public lands.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of lover
Noun
  • Miller, though, who is dealing with hip and back ailments, was downgraded to not participating Thursday after he was limited at Wednesday drills.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
  • In determining whether to reimburse treatment for such ailments, insurers turn to Food and Drug Administration labels and expert guidelines.
    — Arthur Allen, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of ailment
Verb
  • The gaps that irritate people daily are rarely the gaps that can hurt the company.
    — Jeremy Bradley-Silverio Donato, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • This metric is a little misleading—most bills that get introduced never go anywhere—and the claim tends to irritate Collins’s critics.
    — Emma Green, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of irritate
Verb
  • There’s little research on the compound, and academics worry that scheduling will hamper future studies.
    — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026
  • There’s nothing to worry about above because the cinemas have it.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of worry

Phrases Containing bug

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buffs
bug
bugaboo
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Cite this Entry

“Bug.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bug. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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