Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
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- [beyt nwahr; French bet nwar]
- /ˌbeɪt ˈnwɑr; French bɛt ˈnwar/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [beyt nwahr; French bet nwar]
- /ˌbeɪt ˈnwɑr; French bɛt ˈnwar/
Definitions of bete noire words
- singular noun bete noire If you refer to someone or something as your bete noire, you mean that you have a particular dislike for them or that they annoy you a great deal. 3
- noun bete noire something that is particularly disliked 3
- noun bete noire a person or thing that one particularly dislikes or dreads 3
- noun bete noire a person or thing that is disliked or feared, and therefore avoided 3
- noun plural bete noire a person or thing especially disliked or dreaded; bane; bugbear. 1
- noun bete noire An anathema; someone or something which is particularly disliked or avoided; an object of aversion, the bane of one’s existence. 0
Information block about the term
Origin of bete noire
First appearance:
before 1835 One of the 34% newest English words
1835-45; < French: literally, black beast
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Bete noire
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
bete noire popularity
This term is known only to a narrow circle of people with rare knowledge. Only 27% of English native speakers know the meaning of this word.
According to our data about 64% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.
bete noire usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for bete noire
noun bete noire
- adversary — Your adversary is someone you are competing with, or arguing or fighting against.
- anathema — If something is anathema to you, you strongly dislike it.
- antagonist — Your antagonist is your opponent or enemy.
- bad news — someone or something regarded as undesirable
- bane — The bane of someone or the bane of someone's life is something that frequently makes them feel unhappy or annoyed.
Antonyms for bete noire
noun bete noire
- favorite — a person or thing regarded with special favor or preference: That song is an old favorite of mine.
See also
Matching words
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