Meaning

8 senses

  1. (intransitive, slang)To leave (a place) hastily.

    It's time I bugged out of this town: it ain't safe no more.

  2. To leave (a place) hastily.

    (intransitive, slang)To abandon someone without warning.

    I'm not gonna bug out on you, I promise.

  3. (intransitive, slang)To miss school, play truant, play hooky.

    I go to Stockton High, but normally I bug out.

  4. (intransitive, slang)To leave civilization to live off the grid; to escape an apocalypse or emergency by leaving the area.

    When it all goes down, you're gonna want to bug out.

  5. (slang, transitive)To cause to bulge.

    Kim Goodman holds the world record for bugging out her eyes.

    bulge outward

  6. (intransitive, slang)To bulge; to protrude.

    The 3D imagery will make your eyes bug out.

  7. (intransitive, slang)To freak out, to go crazy, e.g. from worry.

  8. (intransitive, slang)To crash or glitch.

    My PC keeps bugging out and rebooting for no reason.

Examples

8 sentences

  1. It really bugged me out at first.

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  2. John looked himself in a mirror and his eyes bugged out.

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  3. Don't forget to zip up your tent to keep bugs out.

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  4. I have an ingrown toenail that's bugging the shit out of me.

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  5. Anna tried to shoo the June bug out of her room but it kept flying in circles.

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Origin

Attested 1950, popularized in the Korean War (1950–53) in such phrases as “bug-out fever”

Attested 1950, popularized in the Korean War (1950–53) in such phrases as “bug-out fever” (rout) and “the big bug out” (November/December 1950 retreat) and entered civilian slang by mid 1950s. Likely originated in World War II, perhaps based on 1930s cartoons featuring bugs fleeing an impending foot or boot. Ultimately based on the rapid, disorderly flight of bugs when discovered, particularly their scattering if several are discovered at once, such as under a rock or can. Compare chicken out and roach out.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

bugs out, bugging out, bugged out, bugged out
Base formbug out · to bug out
3rd person singularbugs out
Present participlebugging out
Past simplebugged out
Past participlebugged out

irregular

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theybug out
he, she, itbugs out

Past simpleLesson

all personsbugged out

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave bugged out
he, she, ithas bugged out

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill bug out

Phrasal verbs

4 phrasal verbs

Synonyms

7 synonyms
Close in meaning

Antonyms

1 antonyms
bug in

Word family

1 related words
Derivedbug-out bag

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
buffoonC1bugA2buggerbuggy
bug out — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto