Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to bug out

to bug out

5 8.0
To have your eyes stick out because you are surprised or shocked
  • phrasal verb
  • /bʌɡ aʊt/
translation icon : salirse los ojos
  • Maria's eyes were bugging out of her head as we drove deeper and deeper into the city.
  • eyes bug out

Examples

  • Her eyes bug out in a terrified NO!

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Jacob's eyes bug out as he rises into them and they start to circle.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • His eyes bug out with the thought of a life without children.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • CLOSE UP on Jim as his eyes bug out.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Then I stand back and watch their eyes bug out of their heads.

    Blog text (24)

  • Plus, during the day her eyes bug out and she talks a mile a minute.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Trent's eyes bug out of his head.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • But then his eyes bug out on stalks as he sees what lies on the opposite side of the gate.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • The Doctor nods vigorously, his eyes bugging out as the pressure around his neck increases.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • When she saw the gigantic spider, her eyes bugged out in shock.

Synonyms

to pop
vsto bug out
149 1.0

To burst or make something burst with a sudden sound

describes eyes pushing outward from surprise rather than bursting or sound
to protrude
vsto bug out
31 5.8

To stick out from a surface or edge

is used when eyes push outward because of surprise or shock
to pop out
vsto bug out
21 3.1

To come out quickly from a surface or container

is used for eyes pushing outward because of surprise or shock rather than general sudden movement
to bulge
vsto bug out
7 2.9

To swell so that part of something sticks out

is specifically about eyes pushing outward from surprise or shock
to bulge out
vsto bug out
3 3.7

To stick out in a round shape, like a pocket or balloon

is used for eyes pushing outward from surprise or shock
to bug-out
vsto bug out
  • Informal
8.2

To have your eyes stick out because you are surprised

is the same eye action but differs in written form or style

Antonyms

to relax
∞ 1.0

To feel less nervous and more calm

How Wide

to pop out
21 3.1
to bug out
5 8.0
to open wide
13 1.9
to widen
85 2.5

Surface Forms

bug out infinitive
bugged out past
bugged out past participle
bugging out present participle
bugs out third person singular

Morphology

bug + out

The sense 'eyes bulge outward' is partly signalled by 'out' (protrusion) and by the image of a 'bug' in the simile 'bug‑eyed', but 'bug' itself does not literally mean 'to bulge'. The meaning therefore requires recognizing a figurative visual comparison rather than straightforward compositional semantics, so learners may sometimes guess but will not reliably derive it without exposure.

Etymology

The verb bug out may come from the picture of a bug's eyes sticking out of its head. That's why it means 'to bulge' or 'stick out', often when someone is surprised.