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 most of word are more popular. This word is almost not used. It has a much more popular synonym.
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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