BUGBEAR Synonyms: 99 Similar and Opposite Words

bugbear

noun

ˈbəg-ˌber

Definition of bugbear

as in dread

something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason communism was once the nation's biggest bugbear

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in headache

something that is a source of irritation hated all the bugbears of modern life, especially those long commutes to work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 bugbear This has been one of its main bugbears for years, with several engine types experimented with. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026 Timings, though, can often be a bugbear. — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026 The turbulence created in a car’s wake is the eternal bugbear of F1 fans and rulemakers. — ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026 Take The Mandibles, a book that revolves around the national debt, long a bugbear of hers. — Adelle Waldman, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bugbear

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugbear

Noun

On Podium, Cheekface dial up both the hooks and the sociopolitical dread, but absurdist humor remains their defense mechanism for a world spiraling out of control.

— Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 3 Aug. 2026
Lynskey suggests that there might be some way to grasp the significance of events like the unprecedented wildfires in Europe without giving in to dread.

— M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of dread

Noun

Because for sports spread thin across multiple broadcasters, and fewer bars, the headache for fans is only getting sharper.

— Leo MacLehose, Sportico.com, 31 July 2026
Typhus symptoms develop one to two weeks after a person becomes infected, and can include fever, headache, body aches, chills, rash, nausea and vomiting.

— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 30 July 2026

Definition of headache

Noun

This thing of like trying to paint a certain type or color or class of people as the enemy and the great bugaboo in America?

— Jim Ryan, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
If there’s any big bugaboo in his profile, he can be beaten by higher-end velocity, but his ability to adjust to secondary offerings keeps him afloat.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026

Definition of bugaboo

Noun

Over the past few months, SmackDown newcomer Gunther has been a thorn in the side of the blue brand’s General Manager Nick Aldis, even physically attacking him on more than one occasion.

— Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
However, no amount of personal story can pluck out the thorn in our side that Janet versus Danny.

— Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 30 July 2026

Definition of thorn

Noun

At first, the men from Maidenpool laugh in his crispy little face, but soon their expressions evolve, from disbelief to disdain to awe and, finally, to terror.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
But nothing has quite captured the pure animalististic terror of the moment in this episode when Rhaena, Daemon, Rhaenyra and Addam all come face-to-face, dragon-to-dragon.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of terror

Noun

Some of the houses are abandoned and have become unsightly neighborhood nuisances.

— Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 29 July 2026
One of the taxes in Connecticut that has been decried by critics as a nuisance is the car tax, which is a property tax on the value of automobiles that can differ sharply from town to town.

— Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2026

Definition of nuisance

Noun

Scotland changed its anthem to ‘Flower Of Scotland’ — a folk song written in the 1960s, and whose lyrics take occasional aim at its neighbour and old enemy to the south — across their sports teams in the 1990s.

— George Edwards, New York Times, 31 July 2026
The game is also not easy; there’s a lot of bullet hell here, and many rooms are tight and filled with hazards and enemies.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026

Definition of enemy

Noun

Big brands, which are highly sensitive to public pressure, have become an easy target for frustration.

— Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Early today, the Pisces Moon may stir private doubts or behind-the-scenes frustration as Venus highlights work and wellness .

— Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of frustration

Browse Nearby Words

bugaboos

bugbear

bugbears

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Style

“Bugbear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugbear. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of bugbear

noun

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