bugbear
definition
a cause of anxiety or fear
example
One of the main bugbears of the project was the constant budget overrun that caused significant stress among the team members.
synonyms
boogeymanterrordread
word origin — The term 'bugbear' originated in the early 14th century, derived from the Middle English 'bugge' meaning 'a scare' or 'a bugbear', and 'bear', likely referring to a creature that would frighten children.