What does "bugger" mean?
A heretic.
Bugger
/ˈbʌɡə/ intj, noun, verb, slang
intj, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A heretic.
- Grammar: bugger is listed as intj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: sodomist, annoy, bad boy, ball up.
- Useful contrasts: angel, calm, composure.
- Usage evidence: Bugger, the lining in my coat is fraying.
How to use "bugger"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bugger" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bugger" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bugger" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bugger" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bugger" is acting as intj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "sodomist" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bugger", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A heretic. obsolete
- 2 One who sets a bug (surveillance device); one who bugs. Commonwealth, transitive, vulgar
- 3 someone who engages in anal copulation (especially a male who engages in anal copulation with another male) wordnet
- 4 Someone who commits buggery; a sodomite. UK
"The British Sexual Offences Act of 1967 is a buggers’ charter."
- 5 A foolish or worthless person or thing; a despicable person. Commonwealth, Hawaii, derogatory, slang
"He's a silly bugger for losing his keys."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 A situation that is aggravating or causes dismay; a pain. Commonwealth, Hawaii, slang
"So you're stuck out in the woop-woop and the next train back is Thursday next week. Well, that's a bit of a bugger."
- 7 Someone viewed with affection; a chap. Commonwealth, Hawaii, slang
"How are you, you old bugger?"
- 8 A damn, anything at all. dated, slang
"I don't give a bugger how important you think it is."
- 9 Someone who is very fond of something Commonwealth, slang
"I'm a bugger for Welsh cakes."
- 10 A whippersnapper, a tyke. UK, US, slang
"What is that little bugger up to now?"
Verb
- 1 To have anal sex with, sodomize. Commonwealth, transitive, vulgar
"To be buggered sore like a hobo's whore (Attributed to Harry Mclintock's 1920s era Big Rock Candy Mountain)"
- 2 practice anal sex upon wordnet
- 3 To break or ruin. Commonwealth, slang, transitive, vulgar
"This computer is buggered! Oh no! I've buggered it up."
- 4 Expressing contemptuous dismissal of the grammatical object. Commonwealth, slang, transitive, vulgar
"Bugger Bognor. (Alleged to be the last words of King George V of the United Kingdom in response to a suggestion that he might recover from his illness and visit Bognor Regis.)"
Intj
- 1 An expression of annoyance or displeasure. British, Commonwealth, Ireland, slang, transitive, vulgar
"Bugger, I've missed the bus."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Bugger, the lining in my coat is fraying."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bugger"?
Common synonyms include: sodomist, annoy, bad boy, ball up, bastard, beat it.
How do you use "bugger" in a sentence?
Bugger, the lining in my coat is fraying.
How do you pronounce "bugger"?
Pronounced /ˈbʌɡə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English bougre (“heretic”), from Old French bougre, from Medieval Latin Bulgarus (“Bulgar”), from Old Church Slavonic блъгаринъ (blŭgarinŭ, “Bulgarian”), used in designation of heretics (especially the Bogomils, who arose around the 10th century AD in the First Bulgarian Empire), to whom various sexual practices such as anal sex were ascribed. Doublet of Bulgar.
Etymology 2
From bug (noun) + -er.