How to pronounce bugbear
American English pronunciation
BUG-bair
- IPA
- /ˈbʌɡˌbɛɹ/
- Syllables
- BUG · bair (2 syllables, stress on the 1st)
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What bugbear means
A problem that keeps bothering or worrying you
In a sentence: Losing socks in the laundry is my mom's biggest bugbear.
Where it comes from: It comes from bugge, an old word for a scary spirit (the same one that gave us bogey), and bear. Long ago a bugbear was a made-up monster used to frighten children.
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