bête noire

noun

ˌbet-ˈnwär How to pronounce bête noire (audio)
ˌbāt-
plural bêtes noires ˌbet-ˈnwär(z) How to pronounce bête noire (audio) ˌbāt- How to pronounce bête noire (audio)
: a person or thing strongly detested or avoided : bugbear
an idiosyncratic driver whose bête noire was the left turnMarylin Bender

Examples of bête noire in a Sentence

a politician who is the bête noire of liberal groups doing my own tax return is the bête noire that haunts me every April
Recent Examples on the Web The illiberal Hungarian prime minister is the bete noire of the European Union, a beloved hero to a major segment of the U.S. right and most vocal statesman among nationalists in the West. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Others also pointed to a 2010 Bon Jovi gig in Tokyo that featured images of the Dalai Lama – Beijing’s bete noire – on the stage background. Heather Chen, CNN, 10 Feb. 2024 Wilt Chamberlain, Russell’s friend and lifelong bete noire, tried to slow down the game by taking Russell one-on-one in half-court sets that put the massive, absurdly gifted Wilt square in the post. Corbin Smith, Rolling Stone, 8 Feb. 2023 The food stylist's bete noire turned out to be foam. Clark Collis, EW.com, 3 Oct. 2022 To some Republican participants in the hearing, the whole thing seemed like an opportunity to take easy shots at outlets like Fox News, long a bete noire of the liberal and Democratic establishment. Andy Meek, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2021 Final approval rests with Italian President Sergio Mattarella—a respected figure in Italy’s establishment and another bete noire of the League and 5 Star Movement. WSJ, 11 Feb. 2019 Much as animosity toward President Donald Trump rouses Democrats, Pelosi is a bete noire for Republicans, who’ve long targeted her as the prototype of a San Francisco liberal. John McCormick, Bloomberg.com, 4 Apr. 2018 Four days after McCarthy's surprise showing, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy of New York - Johnson's bete noire - entered the race for the Democratic nomination. The Washington Post, AL.com, 31 Mar. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bête noire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, black beast

First Known Use

1805, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bête noire was in 1805

Dictionary Entries Near bête noire

Cite this Entry

“Bête noire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/b%C3%AAte%20noire. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bête noire

noun
plural bêtes noires ˌbet-nə-ˈwär(z) How to pronounce bête noire (audio) ˌbāt- How to pronounce bête noire (audio)
: a person or thing strongly disliked or feared
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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