bugaboo
noun
bug·a·boo
ˈbə-gə-ˌbü 
plural bugaboos
1
: an imaginary object of fear
2
: bugbear sense 2
also
: something that causes fear or distress out of proportion to its importance
Synonyms
Examples of bugaboo in a Sentence
politicians complaining about that old bugaboo, high oil prices
doing one's tax returns is a real bugaboo for a lot of people
Recent Examples on the Web
An eternal bugaboo of mine in the two years of writing these rankings has been finding a third or fourth SEC team to consistently place in the top 25.
—
Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic, 8 Apr. 2024
And despite getting Anthony Rizzo to pop up for the second out, the long-ball bugaboo bit him against Volpe.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
Durability is an age-old bugaboo of vaccine designers.
—Byjon Cohen, science.org, 11 Oct. 2024
Cusack is serial killer Robert Hansen, who murdered at least 17 women in the Alaskan bush; Cage is the cop trying to take him down, only to be stymied by that old movie bugaboo, lack of evidence.
—Emily Heller, Vulture, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for bugaboo 
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.
Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic, 8 Apr. 2024
And despite getting Anthony Rizzo to pop up for the second out, the long-ball bugaboo bit him against Volpe.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
Durability is an age-old bugaboo of vaccine designers.
—Byjon Cohen, science.org, 11 Oct. 2024
Cusack is serial killer Robert Hansen, who murdered at least 17 women in the Alaskan bush; Cage is the cop trying to take him down, only to be stymied by that old movie bugaboo, lack of evidence.
—Emily Heller, Vulture, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for bugaboo
Dictionary Entries Near bugaboo
Cite this Entry
“Bugaboo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bugaboo. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share