Word
bugged
US/ˈbəɡd/
UK/bˈʌɡd/
Informal
Definition
adj. feeling annoyed or bothered by something. You use this when someone or something is making you lose your patience.
adj. feeling irritated, annoyed, or bothered by a persistent nuisance. Often used predicatively after linking verbs such as 'get', 'feel', or 'look'.
Examples
“I am really bugged by the way he leaves the door open.”
“She looked visibly bugged after her coworker interrupted her presentation for the third time.”
“While some residents remained indifferent to the new zoning laws, others were deeply bugged by the potential for increased traffic in their quiet neighborhood.”
Examples
simple
“I am really bugged by the way he leaves the door open.”
contextual
“She looked visibly bugged after her coworker interrupted her presentation for the third time.”
complex
“While some residents remained indifferent to the new zoning laws, others were deeply bugged by the potential for increased traffic in their quiet neighborhood.”
Usage
Typically follows a linking verb; less common in the attributive position before a noun.
Pitfall
It bugged me about the noise.
The noise bugged me.
When used as a verb, 'bug' is transitive and the nuisance should be the subject, not an object of 'about'.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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