Standard Lemma guide

debugger

noun · 2 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /diːˈbʌɡə(ɹ)/
  • Northern-England: /diːˈbʊɡə/
  • US: /diˈbʌɡəɹ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ʌɡə(ɹ)

1

noun

Meaning 1

A computer program that helps the user to test and debug other programs, by enabling their step-by-step execution controlled by the user, setting of breakpoints, and monitoring values of variables.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, programming, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a program that helps in locating and correcting programming errors

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: program, programme, computer program, computer programme

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 Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English debugger From debug + -er.

Across languages

Translations

32 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: дебъ́гер (debǎ́ger) — computer program
  • Chinese Mandarin: 調試器 /调试器 (tiáoshìqì) — computer program
  • Chinese Mandarin: 調試程序 /调试程序 (tiáoshì chéngxù) — computer program
  • Chinese Mandarin: 調試工具 /调试工具 (tiáoshì gōngjù) — computer program
  • Czech: debugger — computer program
  • Dutch: debugger — computer program
  • Finnish: virheenkorjausohjelma — computer program
  • Finnish: debuggeri — computer program
  • French: débogueur — computer program
  • French: débugueur — computer program
  • German: Debugger — computer program
  • Greek: αποσφαλματωτής (aposfalmatotís) — computer program
  • Hebrew: דבאגר — computer program
  • Hungarian: hibakereső — computer program
  • Icelandic: kembiforrit — computer program
  • Indonesian: pengawakutu — computer program
  • Indonesian: perunut — computer program
  • Italian: debugger — computer program
  • Japanese: デバッガ (debagga) — computer program
  • Korean: 디버거 (dibeogeo) — computer program
  • Malay: penyahpepijat — computer program
  • Māori: pūpatuiro — computer program
  • Polish: odpluskwiacz — computer program
  • Polish: debugger — computer program
  • Portuguese: debugger — computer program
  • Portuguese: depurador — computer program
  • Romanian: depanator — computer program
  • Russian: отла́дчик (otládčik) — computer program
  • Russian: деба́ггер (debágger) — computer program
  • Spanish: depurador — computer program
  • Swedish: avlusare — computer program
  • Vietnamese: trình gỡ lỗi — computer program