bete noire

bête noire

B0215000 (bĕt nwär′)n. One that is particularly disliked or that is to be avoided: "Fidel Castro, the bête noire of American presidents" (Benjamin I. Page).

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[French : bête, beast + noire, black.]

bête noire

(bɛt nwar) n, pl bêtes noires (bɛt nwar) a person or thing that one particularly dislikes or dreads[literally: black beast]

bête noire

A French phrase meaning black beast, used to mean a person or thing that someone particularly dislikes or fears.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

bete noire - a detested person; "he is an anathema to me"anathemadisagreeable person, unpleasant person - a person who is not pleasant or agreeable

bête noire

noun pet hate, horror, nightmare, devil, curse, dread, bogey, scourge, aversion, nemesis, anathema, bane, abomination, bogeyman, bugbear, bugaboo, thorn in the flesh or side Our real bête noire is the car-boot sale.

bête noire

nounAn object of extreme dislike:abhorrence, abomination, anathema, aversion, bugbear, detestation, execration, hate.Informal: horror.

Translations