Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One that is particularly disliked or that is to be avoided.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An anathema; someone or something which is particularly disliked or avoided; an object of aversion, the bane of one’s existence.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

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

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Borrowing from French bête noire (literally "black beast").

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Examples

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Comments

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  • Beware bête noire...

    December 8, 2006

  • JM ponders on the black dog being his bête noire.

    January 19, 2010