1
as in dread
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 enemy
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 bête noire
Noun
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The Internet's Emotional Reaction The video's initial reactions on TikTok were a mix of playful dread and pure joy.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025 -
Frost’s pastoral landscapes are haunted by loss and shadowed by anxiety, doubt and dread.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Under orders from General Erinmore (Colin Firth), the pair must traverse enemy lines to deliver a life-or-death message to Colonel Mackenzie (Benedict Cumberbatch), halting an attack that would endanger more than 1,000 men.—
Emy LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The enemy terrorizes and kills our people across the country every day.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But seeing the children in the shelter − along with the Red Cross staff − brightens her spirit.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
But the new film, set in 1986, finds the Warrens dealing with a bunch of personal matters, as well as a Pennsylvania family haunted by a mirror cursed with malevolent spirits.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The response from that coalition against hate was clear and firm.—
Daniel Klein,
Mercury News,
6 Sep. 2025
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The watch proved successful after managing to catch a man littering hate flyers across the neighborhood.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Based on a 1967 Chevrolet Impala, the black beast is powered by a powerful Chevy V-8 and features parts sourced from a British Harrier fighter jet.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
11 Mar. 2022
-
Malone's black beast in the closet is threatening Alaska now.—
Author: Charles Wohlforth | Opinion,
Anchorage Daily News,
2 Mar. 2018
Noun
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Holly hits the road with the activist and brings along a gun, despite her deep need to be near her home and her abhorrence of weapons.—
Maren Longbella,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2025
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Tolin doesn’t candy coat the animosity, helping children to understand how artists and Others continue to be misunderstood and how that lack of appreciation fuels abhorrence.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Both Erica and the Gorn overcame their antipathy.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
4 Sep. 2025
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Heritage and its founder Edwin Feulner are the antipathy of conservativism.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Couples who respect yellow lights tend to build trust, because hesitation is treated as valuable input, not as a nuisance.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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In this era of college athletics what was once a nuisance and an annoyance — college classes — now often appear to not even be a part of the equation.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Bête noire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/b%C3%AAte%20noire. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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