bum

[ buhm ]

/ bʌm /

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See synonyms for: bum / bummed / bummer / bummest on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who avoids work and sponges on others; loafer; idler.

a tramp, hobo, or derelict.

Informal. an enthusiast of a specific sport or recreational activity, especially one who gives it priority over work, family life, etc.: a ski bum; a tennis bum.

Informal. an incompetent person.

a drunken orgy; debauch.

verb (used with object), bummed, bum·ming.

Informal. to borrow without expectation of returning; get for nothing; cadge: He's always bumming cigarettes from me.

Slang. to ruin or spoil: The weather bummed our whole weekend.

verb (used without object), bummed, bum·ming.

to sponge on others for a living; lead an idle or dissolute life.

to live as a hobo.

adjective, bum·mer, bum·mest.

Slang. of poor, wretched, or miserable quality; unsatisfactory: I figured $300 was a bum deal for a minor repair, but I paid it anyway.

Slang. fraudulent or fake: He was accused of issuing a bum check for $2920.

Slang. disappointing; unpleasant.

Slang. erroneous or ill-advised; misleading: I think the gauge is giving me a bum readout.

Slang. physically disabled, impaired, or injured: a bum leg.

Verb Phrases

bum around, Informal. to travel, wander, or spend one's time aimlessly: We bummed around for a couple of hours after work.

OTHER WORDS FOR bum

2 vagabond, vagrant.

See synonyms for bum on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about bum

bum (someone) out, Slang. to disappoint, upset, or annoy: It really bummed me out that she could have helped and didn't.

on the bum, Informal.

living or traveling as or in a manner suggesting that of a hobo or tramp.
in a state of disrepair or disorder: The oven is on the bum again.

Origin of bum

An Americanism first recorded in 1860–65; perhaps a shortening of or back formation from bummer¹; adjective senses of unclear relation to sense “loafer” and perhaps of distinct origin

Words nearby bum

bulrush, Bultmann, bulwark, Bulwer, Bulwer-Lytton, bum, bum around, bum bag, bumbailiff, bumbershoot, bumble

Other definitions for bum (2 of 2)

bum²

[ buhm ]

/ bʌm /

noun Chiefly British Slang.

the buttocks; rump.

Origin of bum

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English bom; of uncertain origin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bum in a sentence

Neither high-rise nor bikini style, it sits a couple of inches below the belly button and provides full bum coverage—nothing fancy, just a classic fit.
Stay Cool the Rest of Summer in These Wool Basics|aweinberg|August 24, 2021|Outside Online
So, if you were ever bummed out in the way Feld suggested, cheer up—the reality is much more complicated than the headline.
Why You May Have More Friends Than Your Friends Do - Facts So Romantic|Joshua Holden|August 20, 2021|Nautilus
So in late 1975, they bummed around all up and down the California heartland, casing various country towns and accounting for their advantages and disadvantages.
The ballad of the Chowchilla bus kidnapping|Kaleb Horton|July 23, 2021|Vox
I glanced up and saw it was none other than the stranger who had bummed cigarettes from us.
I Went Camping as My Dungeons & Dragons Character|smurguia|July 15, 2021|Outside Online

When I was 27, I quit my job to travel and ski-bum, and by that point I had managed to save a small sum that could float me for a year.
Young, Dumb, and Broke: Why Outdoorsy Types Suck at Money|jversteegh|July 13, 2021|Outside Online
Rumours that Lego are producing a new clip-on Pippa Bum are unfounded.
Lego Queen|Tom Sykes|April 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Bum-boats selling goods before sunrising and after sunsetting are very hardly dealt with.
Rivers of Great Britain. The Thames, from Source to Sea.|Anonymous
So Jack gave the cow to the man and took the Bum-clock himself, and started for home.
Stories to Read or Tell from Fairy Tales and Folklore|Laure Claire Foucher
And when the man lifted the Bum-clock and put it in his pocket, everybody stopped jigging and dancing and everyone laughed loud.
Stories to Read or Tell from Fairy Tales and Folklore|Laure Claire Foucher
An intelligent correspondent suggests that brandy would be about the thing, but that it should be labelled "Bay Bum."
Punchinello, Vol. 1, No. 24, September 10, 1870|Various
They served us desserts made with Bum Berry goo As we danced to the tune of the didgeridoo.
FreeChildrenStories.com Collection|Daniel Errico

British Dictionary definitions for bum (1 of 2)

bum¹

/ (bʌm) /

noun

British slang the buttocks or anus

Word Origin for bum

C14: of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for bum (2 of 2)

bum²

/ (bʌm) informal /

noun

a disreputable loafer or idler

a tramp; hobo

an irresponsible, unpleasant, or mean person

a person who spends a great deal of time on a specified sportbaseball bum

on the bum

living as a loafer or vagrant
out of repair; broken

verb bums, bumming or bummed

(tr) to get by begging; cadgeto bum a lift

(intr often foll by around) to live by begging or as a vagrant or loafer

(intr usually foll by around) to spend time to no good purpose; loaf; idle

bum someone off US and Canadian slang to disappoint, annoy, or upset someone

adjective

(prenominal) of poor quality; useless

wrong or inappropriatea bum note

Word Origin for bum

C19: probably shortened from earlier bummer a loafer, probably from German bummeln to loaf

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with bum

bum

In addition to the idioms beginning with bum

bum around
bum out
bum rap
bum steer

also see:

on the blink (bum)

bum

OTHER WORDS FOR bum

Idioms about bum

Origin of bum

Words nearby bum

Other definitions for bum (2 of 2)

Origin of bum

Words related to bum

How to use bum in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bum (1 of 2)

Word Origin for bum

British Dictionary definitions for bum (2 of 2)

Word Origin for bum

Other Idioms and Phrases with bum