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
  • Though the Colonel had many enemies, the violence of his death shocks the sleepy village and starts the tongues of the local gossips wagging.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 15 July 2026
  • Judith claims to be a forensic accountant, but is actually a career assassin whose very name sends shivers of fear through her enemies and ones of excitement through her admirers.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
Definition of enemies
Noun
  • Further lifting Toohey’s spirits is his former high school roommate Lachlan Olbrich.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
  • Space opened up and despite trailing, Argentine spirits were lifted.
    — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 15 July 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
  • 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
  • The Succession Wars took a much darker turn thanks to the development of not just Battlemechs but of horrible flesh and steel monsters called abominations.
    — Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Definition of abominations
Noun
  • These seemingly minor nuisances are becoming a drain on municipal resources and complicating the rollout of robotaxi service.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
  • Besides being nuisances, many types carry diseases including West Nile virus, encephalitis, and canine heartworm.
    — Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 3 July 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 18 Jul. 2026.

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