bête noire

== English == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from French bête noire (“(figurative) intolerable person”, literally “black beast”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /bɛt ˈnwɑː/, /beɪt-/ (General American) IPA(key): /bɛt ˈnwɑɹ/ Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ) === Noun === bête noire (plural bêtes noires) Someone or something that is unbearable and so particularly avoided or disliked; the bane of someone's existence; an object of aversion; an anathema. Synonyms: antipathy, bugbear ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== Thesaurus:enemy === References === === Further reading === bête noire (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “bete noire”, in Online Etymology Dictionary. == French == === Etymology === Literally, “black beast”. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /bɛt nwaʁ/ === Noun === bête noire f (plural bêtes noires) bête noire, pet hate, pet peeve