bug

/bʌɡ/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈʌɡ] /bʌɡ/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈʌɡ] /ˈbəg/ (ame, mw)

bug — noun

  • bugsingular
  • bugsplural

1. a tiny crawling creature, especially one people notice around plants, food, or t

1.名詞B1
釋義

a tiny crawling creature, especially one people notice around plants, food, or the house.

例句

Sirin shook a tiny bug from the lettuce before making lunch.

shake a bug from + object

A green bug crawled across Omar's notebook during science class.

bug crawled across + surface

同義詞
  • insect

    the more neutral and scientific general word

  • beetle

    one particular kind of insect, not a general label

  • pest

    focuses on the trouble an insect causes rather than its type

文法句型

a bug crawls on + surface

find a bug in + place

keep bugs off + plant/object

用法筆記

Often used in everyday speech when the exact kind of insect does not matter. It sounds more casual and sometimes more negative than the neutral word 'insect'.

2. a mild sickness, often infectious, that usually lasts only a short time.

2.名詞B2
釋義

a mild sickness, often infectious, that usually lasts only a short time.

例句

Tendai missed practice because a stomach bug kept him in bed.

stomach bug

A bug is going around the office, so several desks are empty.

a bug is going around

同義詞
  • illness

    a broader and more neutral word for any sickness

  • infection

    more medical and often used when the cause is clearer

  • virus

    often used loosely in conversation, but strictly the cause rather than the sickness itself

文法句型

have a bug

catch a bug

a bug is going around

用法筆記

Mostly informal and common in everyday talk about short illnesses. Distinguish from sense 6: this sense names the sickness a person has, not the germ that causes it.

3. an error in software or another electronic system that makes it behave wrongly.

3.名詞B2
釋義

an error in software or another electronic system that makes it behave wrongly.

例句

Christopher found a bug that erased every new photo tag.

find a bug that + result

One bug in the payment page blocked orders all morning.

bug in + system part

同義詞
  • glitch

    often suggests a brief or minor problem, especially one that appears suddenly

  • defect

    a more formal word for a fault in design or performance

  • flaw

    a broad word for an imperfection, not only a technical one

文法句型

find a bug

fix a bug

a bug in + software/system

用法筆記

Most common in computing and engineering. It usually refers to an unexpected fault in code or system behavior rather than damage caused by a harmful program.

常見錯誤

❌The app has a virus in the code.
✅The app has a bug in the code.
💡a virus is malicious software that spreads itself, while a bug is an ordinary coding fault.

4. a hidden microphone or similar device used to hear private talk without permissi

4.名詞C1
釋義

a hidden microphone or similar device used to hear private talk without permission.

例句

Police found a bug taped under the meeting table.

find a bug under + object

Ravindra checked the hotel phone for a hidden bug.

check for a hidden bug

同義詞
  • listening device

    a broader neutral term for any tool used to hear conversations secretly

  • microphone

    the general device for picking up sound, not always hidden or illegal

  • wiretap

    often refers more specifically to secretly listening through a phone connection

文法句型

plant a bug

find a bug under + object

remove a bug from + place

用法筆記

Usually appears in stories about spying, crime, or security checks. Distinguish from verb 2: this noun names the device itself, while verb 2 describes secretly putting it somewhere.

5. a sudden strong interest that makes someone want to keep doing an activity.

5.名詞C1
釋義

a sudden strong interest that makes someone want to keep doing an activity.

例句

After one sailing lesson, Quinn caught the bug immediately.

catch the bug

Tomás got the baking bug and bought three cake tins.

get the + hobby + bug

同義詞
  • enthusiasm

    a general word for strong interest, without the sudden catchy image

  • craze

    often suggests a stronger or more fashionable shared excitement

  • passion

    usually sounds deeper and longer-lasting than this informal phrase

文法句型

catch the bug

get the + hobby + bug

the travel/gardening bug

用法筆記

Common in lively informal phrases such as 'catch the bug' or 'get the gardening bug'. It refers to strong excitement about an activity, not to a real insect or illness.

常見錯誤

❌I got a bug for chess.
✅I got the chess bug.
💡this sense usually appears with 'the' in set patterns about becoming enthusiastic.

6. a germ such as a virus or bacterium, especially one that makes people or animals

6.名詞C1
釋義

a germ such as a virus or bacterium, especially one that makes people or animals ill.

例句

Doctors still do not know which bug caused the fever.

which bug caused + illness

This bug can spread through dirty water in hot weather.

bug spread through + source

同義詞
  • germ

    the broad everyday word for a tiny organism that can cause disease

  • microbe

    a more scientific-sounding general term

  • pathogen

    a formal medical word for a disease-causing organism

文法句型

which bug caused + illness

a bug spreads through + source

trace the bug to + source

用法筆記

Usually informal and often heard in medical or everyday talk when the exact scientific name is unknown. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense names the germ itself, not the sickness it causes.

bug — verb