bugbear
pronunciation
How to pronounce bugbear in British English:
UK [ˈbʌgbeə(r)]
How to pronounce bugbear in American English:
US [ˈbʌgber]
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- Noun:
- an imaginary monster used to frighten children
- an object of dread or apprehension
Word Origin
- bugbear
- bugbear: [16] Early references to bugbear suggest that it was a sort of bug – ‘frightening creature’ – conjured up to frighten naughty children. It is usually assumed that the second element of the word simply represents the animal ‘bear’, and that the frightening creature was represented as being in the shape of a bear. The modern sense ‘source of annoyance’ developed in the late 19th century.
- bugbear (n.)
- 1580s, a sort of demon in the form of a bear that eats small children, also "object of dread" (whether real or not), from obsolete bug "goblin, scarecrow" (see bug (n.)) + bear (n.).
Example
- 1. Another bugbear was how the tax was applied to meat .
- 2. The online market is another bugbear : it is often easier for europeans to buy things online from america than from their neighbours .
- 3. Inflation , of course , remains a major worry , and market analysts are looking for signs that this particular investor bugbear can be contained .
- 4. This encouraged nawaz sharif , pakistan 's opposition leader , to attack the top brass and vow to make peace with their chief bugbear , india .
- 5. But fluctuating currency remains a bugbear - and one that smart customers use to their advantage : the majority of sales to foreign customers in london stores are no longer to asians and russians , but to germans and swiss .