Bete Noire

Pronunciation: /beɪt nwɑːr/

Definitions of bete noire

noun a person or thing that one particularly dislikes or dreads

Example Sentences

A1 My bete noire is spiders.

A2 Her bete noire is public speaking.

B1 His bete noire is doing presentations in front of a large audience.

B2 The job interview was her bete noire, but she managed to overcome her fear.

C1 The politician's bete noire is negative media coverage.

C2 The CEO's bete noire is losing market share to competitors.

Examples of bete noire in a Sentence

formal The increased competition in the market became their bete noire as they struggled to maintain their market share.

informal Her bete noire at work is the new manager who always criticizes her work.

slang That math test is my bete noire, I always struggle with it.

figurative His bete noire is his fear of failure, which holds him back from taking risks.

Grammatical Forms of bete noire

• past tense: was the bete noire of
• plural: betes noires
• comparative: more of a bete noire
• superlative: the biggest bete noire
• present tense: is the bete noire of
• future tense: will be the bete noire of
• perfect tense: has been the bete noire of
• continuous tense: is being the bete noire of
• singular: bete noire
• positive degree: bete noire
• infinitive: to be the bete noire of
• gerund: being the bete noire of
• participle: the bete noire

Origin and Evolution of bete noire

First Known Use: 1750 year

Language of Origin: French

Story behind the word: The phrase 'bête noire' originates from the French language, where 'bête' means beast or animal, and 'noire' means black. It is used to refer to something or someone that is particularly disliked or feared.

Evolution of the word: Over time, 'bête noire' has come to be used in English to describe a person or thing that is a constant source of annoyance or frustration, rather than just fear or dislike.