bug

18 synonyms and 2 antonyms for bug, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A small insect, or loosely, any small crawling or flying creature.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

error fault

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

insect defect flaw glitch tap badger intercept tease

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

critter germ hemipteron hemipteran microbe pester beleaguer wiretap

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A small insect, or loosely, any small crawling or flying creature.

“There is a tiny bug crawling up your sleeve, so hold still.”

insect critter defect flaw error fault germ glitch hemipteron hemipteran microbe

2. verb

To annoy or irritate someone.

“Don't let your brother's teasing bug you; he is just after a reaction.”

tap pester beleaguer wiretap badger intercept tease

Opposites

please

3. verb

To secretly install a listening device somewhere.

“Someone had bugged the hotel room, so they spoke only in whispers.”

Opposites

debug

How to use bug

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

fix a bug catch a bug bug someone bug the room

Etymology

Traced to Middle English "bugge," meaning a scarecrow or hobgoblin; the "insect" meaning developed later, possibly influenced by a separate, similar-sounding word for beetle.

Full origin of bug →

Frequently asked questions

What does “bug” mean?

The word “bug” means a small insect, or loosely, any small crawling or flying creature. In plain terms, covers insects, software errors, minor illnesses, hidden microphones, and the verb "to annoy" — context makes clear which one is meant.

How do you pronounce “bug”?

“Bug” is pronounced buhg (/bʌɡ/ in IPA).

How do you use “bug” in a sentence?

Here is “bug” used in a sentence: “A bug landed on the picnic table and everyone jumped.”

What part of speech is “bug”?

Depending on how it is used, “bug” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “bug” come from?

The word “bug” comes from Middle English. Traced to Middle English "bugge," meaning a scarecrow or hobgoblin; the "insect" meaning developed later, possibly influenced by a separate, similar-sounding word for beetle.

Is “bug” a common word?

“Bug” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

How many meanings does “bug” have?

“Bug” has 6 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small insect, or loosely, any small crawling or flying creature.

What is the difference between a bug and an insect?

In everyday English, bug loosely means a small insect or any small crawling or flying creature. In strict scientific use, "true bugs" are a specific group of insects, so not every insect is a bug to a biologist. In casual speech, though, the two words are often used interchangeably.

What is the difference between a bug and a glitch in software?

A bug is an error or flaw in a computer program or piece of software, often something that needs to be found and fixed. A glitch usually suggests a brief, minor, or temporary malfunction. Bugs tend to be underlying faults in the code, while glitches are the short-lived hiccups users notice.

What words commonly go with bug in software?

In the software sense, bug pairs with verbs like fix, report, find, and introduce, as in "fix a bug" or "report a bug." Common noun phrases include bug report, bug fix, and known bug.

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please error fault tap insect defect flaw intercept tease badger glitch germ

Nearby words

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