Standard Lemma guide

debug

noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /diːˈbʌɡ/
  • also: /ˈdiː.bʌɡ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ʌɡ
  • CMU ARPABET: D IY0 B AH1 G Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The action, or a session, of reviewing source code to find and eliminate errors.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To search for and eliminate malfunctioning elements or errors in something, especially a computer program or machinery.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computer, computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, science, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To remove a hidden electronic surveillance device from (somewhere).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, electrical-engineering, electricity, electromagnetism, electronics, energy, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To remove insects from (somewhere), especially lice.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

locate and correct errors in a computer program code

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • debug this program

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: correct, rectify, right

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h1 Proto-Indo-European *déh1 Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē-der. English de- English bug English debug From de- + bug.

Across languages

Translations

62 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تَصْحِيحُ الْأَخْطَاء (taṣḥīḥu l-ʔaḵṭāʔ) — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Armenian: վրիպազերծել (vripazercel) — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Bulgarian: дебъ́гвам (debǎ́gvam) — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Catalan: depurar — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Chinese Mandarin: 調試 /调试 (tiáoshì) — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Chinese Mandarin: 除錯 /除错 (chúcuò) — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Chinese Mandarin: debug — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Min Nan Chinese: 除去錯誤 /除去错误 — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Czech: ladit — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Dutch: debuggen — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Esperanto: ĝustigi — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Esperanto: senerarigi — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Finnish: etsiä ja poistaa virheet — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Finnish: testata — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Finnish: debugata — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • French: débugger — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • French: déboguer — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • German: debuggen — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Greek: αποσφαλματώνω (aposfalmatóno) — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Gujarati: ભૂલકાઢ (bhūlkāḍh) — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Hebrew: דיבג (dibég) — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Icelandic: kemba — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Icelandic: (to delouse) kemba — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Indonesian: awakutu — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Italian: mettere a punto — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Italian: correggere — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Italian: debuggare — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Japanese: デバッグする (debaggu-suru) — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Malay: menyahpepijat — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Māori: patuiro — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Māori: whakapatuiro — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Persian: دیباگ کردن (dibâg kardan) — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Persian: لغزبریدن — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Persian: لغزعاردن — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Polish: odpluskwiać — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Portuguese: depurar — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Portuguese: debugar — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Romanian: depana — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Russian: отла́живать (otláživatʹ) — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Russian: отла́дить (otláditʹ) — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Russian: устраня́ть непола́дки (ustranjátʹ nepoládki) — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Spanish: depurar — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Swedish: felsöka — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Turkish: hata ayıklama — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Turkish: hatasızlaştırmak — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Turkish: yanlış ayıklama — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Ukrainian: нала́годжувати (naláhodžuvaty) — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Ukrainian: нала́годити (naláhodyty) — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Ukrainian: знева́джувати (znevádžuvaty) — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Ukrainian: знева́дити (znevádyty) — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Vietnamese: gỡ lỗi — to search for malfunctioning elements
  • Chinese Mandarin: 拆除竊聽器 /拆除窃听器 (chāichú qiètīngqì) — to remove a hidden electronic surveillance device
  • Finnish: poistaa salakuuntelulaitteet — to remove a hidden electronic surveillance device
  • German: entwanzen — to remove a hidden electronic surveillance device
  • Persian: لغزبریدن — to remove a hidden electronic surveillance device
  • Persian: لغزعاردن — to remove a hidden electronic surveillance device
  • Chinese Mandarin: 除虫 — to remove insects
  • Finnish: hävittää hyönteiset — to remove insects
  • French: désinsectiser — to remove insects
  • German: entwanzen — to remove insects
  • Italian: disinfestare — to remove insects
  • Polish: odpluskwianie — to remove insects