bugged

USAGE SUMMARY

"bugged" is a correct and usable word in written English.
You can use it as a verb meaning "to cause to feel annoyed and harassed" or "to place a hidden microphone or camera in (a room or other location) for the purpose of eavesdropping or surveillance". Example sentence: My boss bugged my office so now I cannot make important phone calls without worrying that he is listening in.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Miranda was serving as a human passenger pigeon, shuttling encrypted files on USB drives between filmmaker Laura Poitras and Greenwald because, as the whole world now knows, the Internet is fully bugged by the US and UK governments.

The Guardian

Spark, she points out, worked in intelligence during the war, and in her memoir Curriculum Vitae, notes that even the trees were bugged in the PoW camps, as are the nunnery grounds in her Watergate novel, The Abbess of Crewe.

The Guardian - Books

Laptops and mobile phones had been hacked, and internet cafes installed and bugged.

The Guardian - Opinion

It emerges that the News of the World bugged Kate Middleton's womb I mean, we all know it already, don't we?

The Guardian - Opinion

All the while, she believed her apartment was bugged by the FBI.

The Guardian - Books

Mr Lawson said Barot and his seven alleged co-conspirators were well-versed in anti-surveillance techniques, going to great lengths to avoid being followed or bugged, taking circuitous routes to meetings, avoiding the use of phones and sending each other coded emails in the style of teenagers discussing music, television and sex which the security services have still not cracked.

The Guardian

Crucial questions that have not been answered include: Why MI5 and police did not take more urgent steps to identify Khan and Tanweer, whom they had photographed and bugged.

The Guardian

Timor-Leste has said it had irrefutable proof that Australia bugged the country's cabinet room to gain an unfair advantage in the lead-up to a 2006 agreement extending the length of a crucial oil and gas treaty.

The Guardian

Last time I wrote about The Rock, he was not yet quite fully formed and it bugged me terribly.

The Guardian - Film

There was evidence that the offices of the defence team were being bugged, and materials relating to her case that went missing from the home of her late lawyer Stanley Cohen were later found with the New York City police.

The Guardian - Books

A wide presumption exists that phones are bugged.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to software, be precise about what component is "bugged". Instead of saying that "the website is bugged", specify which feature or page is not functioning correctly.

Common error

Avoid using "bugged" without a clear subject. For instance, instead of just saying "the room was bugged", specify who did the bugging to provide clarity and avoid ambiguity. Instead say "The room was bugged by the police".

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "bugged" is as a past participle adjective, often describing something that has been subjected to electronic surveillance or is experiencing malfunctions. Ludwig AI confirms this usage through numerous examples where "bugged" modifies nouns like "phone", "office", or "system".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "bugged" is a versatile term primarily used as a past participle adjective, denoting either electronic surveillance or the presence of defects in software or systems. Ludwig AI shows that its usage is very common, particularly in news and media contexts. While grammatically correct, using "bugged" effectively requires a clear understanding of its context to avoid ambiguity. Related terms include "wiretapped", ""tapped"", and ""malfunctioning"", each carrying nuances that affect their interchangeability. As Ludwig AI confirms, "bugged" effectively conveys a lack of privacy or functionality, depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

wiretapped

Indicates electronic surveillance by tapping into a communication line.

tapped

Similar to wiretapped, suggesting a less technical form of eavesdropping.

monitored

Suggests a broader form of surveillance, not necessarily electronic.

spied on

Implies secret observation, often for intelligence gathering.

under surveillance

A more formal way of saying someone is being watched.

infested with bugs

Refers to software or systems containing errors or defects.

malfunctioning

Indicates that something is not working correctly due to a fault.

plagued

Suggests being constantly troubled or afflicted by something.

annoyed

Indicates a state of being bothered or irritated.

pestered

Implies persistent bothering or harassment.

FAQs

How is "bugged" used in the context of electronics surveillance?

In electronics surveillance, "bugged" means a device has been installed to secretly listen to or record conversations. For example, "The suspect's phone was "wiretapped" by the authorities".

What does it mean when software is described as "bugged"?

When software is "bugged", it means it contains errors or defects that cause it to malfunction. A similar term to express this can be "malfunctioning".

Which is the correct usage: "bugged by" or "bugged with"?

The correct usage depends on the context. "Bugged by" is used when someone is being annoyed or harassed (e.g., "He was bugged by constant interruptions"). "Bugged with" is less common but could refer to something being infested (e.g., "The system was bugged with errors").

What are some alternatives to saying someone's phone was "bugged"?

Alternatives include saying the phone was "wiretapped", "tapped", or "monitored".