1
as in dread
something or someone that causes fear or dread especially without reason
doing my own tax return is the bête noire that haunts me every April
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in enemy
something or someone that is hated
in that organization's view, society's number one bête noire should be the drunk driver of a motor vehicle
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Recent Examples of bête noire
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
Spiro Agnew called them — became a bete noire of the political right as more fiscally conservative governments raised public college tuition to levels once unthinkable.
—Will Bunch, Twin Cities, 10 Dec. 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
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
Spiro Agnew called them — became a bete noire of the political right as more fiscally conservative governments raised public college tuition to levels once unthinkable.
—Will Bunch, Twin Cities, 10 Dec. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bête noire
Noun
-
For many, as the rain kept falling, there was a sense of dread that the worst was still to come.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Thus, the fear of displacement has not become a distant memory but a continuous dread as the age of gentrification looms over the neighborhood.—
Alyza J Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Buoyed by a Supreme Court that has given presidents complete immunity from criminal prosecution, a new generation of prominent conservatives praise the 37th president as a model for attacking enemies, reshaping the federal bureaucracy and the nation’s history.—
Made by History,
TIME,
24 Mar. 2025
-
More often smoke is used for screening, placing a thick curtain of smoke between friendly and enemy forces.—
David Hambling,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
As Donatella Versace prepares to step into her new role as Global Ambassador, there is hope that the Prada Group will honor and preserve the brand’s familial legacy, keeping the spirit of the Versace family alive at its core.—
Mecca Pryor,
Essence,
14 Apr. 2025
-
There are signs that SEIU Local 1000’s efforts have renewed the spirits of members who in recent years have weathered a tumultuous leadership change and a contract negotiation that left many unsatisfied.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Although Phillies fans might not love it — particularly with Philadelphia hosting Los Angeles this weekend — star Bryce Harper isn't buying the hate.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
-
State and town leaders are condemning hate after flyers with transphobic and homophobic messaging were found littered across Deep River and surrounding towns.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Based on a 1967 Chevrolet Impala, the black beast is powered by a powerful Chevy V-8 and features parts sourced from a British Harrier fighter jet.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
11 Mar. 2022
-
Under the hood, the black beast is equipped with a 6.6-liter V-8 mated to an M40 three-speed automatic transmission.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
27 Jan. 2022
Noun
-
The reactions from right-of-center publications divide into roughly four camps, aligning on a spectrum ranging from vocal approval to outright abhorrence.—
Zack Beauchamp,
Vox,
7 Dec. 2018
-
Tolin doesn’t candy coat the animosity, helping children to understand how artists and Others continue to be misunderstood and how that lack of appreciation fuels abhorrence.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
What happens when such legal requirements at the state and local level meet the Trump Administration’s deep antipathy and use of federal policy to fight against DEI, especially where it is mandated by law?—
Richard McGahey,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
-
But the context was eerily similar: a palpable antipathy towards the owners manifesting itself in scathing banners inside the Stadio Olimpico on matchdays and outside the team’s Trigoria training complex.—
James Horncastle,
The Athletic,
5 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
At first, the un-washable Fisk murals are a nuisance to the new mayor, but there are ways to take advantage of the situation.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2025
-
In a meeting that month which Dahl recorded, Turner referred to Williams as a nuisance who had already been dealt with.—
Ronan Farrow,
The New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bête noire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/b%C3%AAte%20noire. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
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