bugger

1 of 3

noun (1)

bug·​ger ˈbə-gər  ˈbu̇-gər 

1

: sodomite

2

a

: a worthless person : rascal

b

: fellow, chap

3

: a small or annoying thing

put down my keys and now I can't find the buggers

bugger

2 of 3

verb

bug·​ger ˈbə-gər 

buggered; buggering; buggers

transitive verb

1

usually vulgar : to commit sodomy with

2

: damn

3

: to put into disorder : bungle, botch

—often used with up

bugger

3 of 3

noun (2)

bug·​ger ˈbə-gər 

: a person who plants electronic bugs

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• bastard
• beast
• bleeder [British]
• blighter [chiefly British]
• boor
• bounder
• buzzard
• cad
• chuff
• churl
• clown
• creep
• cretin
• crud [slang]
• crumb [slang]
• cur
• dirtbag [slang]
• dog
• fink
• heel
• hound
• jerk
• joker
• louse
• lout
• pill
• rat
• rat fink
• reptile
• rotter
• schmuck [slang]
• scum
• scumbag [slang]
• scuzzball [slang]
• skunk
• sleaze
• sleazebag [slang]
• sleazeball [slang]
• slime
• slimeball [slang]
• slob
• snake
• so-and-so
• sod [chiefly British]
• stinkard
• stinker
• swine
• toad
• varmint
• vermin

Verb

• blow
• bobble
• boggle
• bollix (up)
• boot
• botch
• bumble
• bungle
• butcher
• dub
• flub
• fluff
• foozle
• foul up
• fumble
• goof (up)
• louse up
• mangle
• mess (up)
• muck up
• muff
• murder
• screw up

Examples of bugger in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Give yourself a break from the buzzing buggers with a host of new products from the always reliable Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard formulas. —Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024

Not just any pillow—this cheeky bugger’s a straight-up ‘f—k you’ to stress, exhaustion, and that godforsaken muscle knot playing hide and seek in your neck. —Cristian Esteban, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English bougre heretic, from Anglo-French bugre, from Medieval Latin Bulgarus, literally, Bulgarian; from the association of Bulgaria with the Bogomils, who were accused of sodomy

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1955, in the meaning defined above