bugger

1 of 3

noun (1)

bug·​ger ˈbə-gər  ˈbu̇-gər 

1

: sodomite

2

a

: a worthless person : rascal

b

: fellow, chap

3

: a small or annoying thing

put down my keys and now I can't find the buggers

bugger

2 of 3

verb

bug·​ger ˈbə-gər 

buggered; buggering; buggers

transitive verb

1

usually vulgar : to commit sodomy with

2

: damn

3

: to put into disorder : bungle, botch

—often used with up

bugger

3 of 3

noun (2)

bug·​ger ˈbə-gər 

: a person who plants electronic bugs

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• bastard
• beast
• bleeder [British]
• blighter [chiefly British]
• boor
• bounder
• buzzard
• cad
• chuff
• churl
• clown
• creep
• cretin
• crud [slang]
• crumb [slang]
• cur
• dirtbag [slang]
• dog
• fink
• heel
• hound
• jerk
• joker
• louse
• lout
• pill
• rat
• rat fink
• reptile
• rotter
• schmuck [slang]
• scum
• scumbag [slang]
• scuzzball [slang]
• skunk
• sleaze
• sleazebag [slang]
• sleazeball [slang]
• slime
• slimeball [slang]
• slob
• snake
• so-and-so
• sod [chiefly British]
• stinkard
• stinker
• swine
• toad
• varmint
• vermin

Verb

• blow
• bobble
• boggle
• bollix (up)
• boot
• botch
• bumble
• bungle
• butcher
• dub
• flub
• fluff
• foozle
• foul up
• fumble
• goof (up)
• louse up
• mangle
• mess (up)
• muck up
• muff
• murder
• screw up

Examples of bugger in a Sentence

Noun (1)

a cranky bugger who's always at odds with his neighbors

Verb

I've somehow buggered up the program again

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In the Eighties and Nineties, student groups tended to be formed along private school/state school lines, among rugger buggers and debaters, actors and engineers. —Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 31 Dec. 2024

Treatment tends to be a journey for folks diagnosed with SIBO—which might come as a surprise for a condition that hinges on extra bacterial buggers. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 24 Oct. 2024

Advertisement As far as the feds were concerned, that meant dropping pesticide on the little buggers from the air — the same advice Brown was getting from his state ag officials. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024

Microbes are clever little buggers —- for decades, they've been used by the mining industry to efficiently extract some 25 percent of the world’s gold and copper in a more environmentally friendly manner. —Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024

After escaping their own airborne prison, the little buggers begin to wreak havoc in the skies, causing another plane to collide with Athena’s. —Andy Swift, TVLine, 26 Sep. 2024

Streamers like wooly buggers and large wet flies can be swung and stripped through likely areas to elicit a strike. —Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 12 June 2024

People have reported getting hit by urine from the little buggers. —John Dodge, CBS News, 15 May 2024

How To Clean Strawberries How To Soak Strawberries In Salt Water These little buggers are really hard to spot, and that's where a salt soak comes in. —Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English bougre heretic, from Anglo-French bugre, from Medieval Latin Bulgarus, literally, Bulgarian; from the association of Bulgaria with the Bogomils, who were accused of sodomy

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1955, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bugger

• lugger
• mugger
• slugger
• debugger