A bugbear is a legendary creature roughly analogous with the bogeyman, bogie, bugaboo , hobgoblin and other creatures used to frighten children. Using the term euphemistically in a more modern context, a bugbear is merely an irritant rather than a mythic beast. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as "an imaginary goblin or specter used to excite fear", "an object or source of dread" or "a continuing source of irritation."
A bugbear can also be another word for a scarecrow.
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, a bugbear is a humanoid creature similar to the hobgoblin or orc. Bugbears are goblinoid creatures, stronger but less intelligent than hobgoblins.
See also: Sprite (fantasy)
