bum

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noun (1)

ˈbəm

Synonyms of bum next

: buttocks

fell down on his bum

bum

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adjective

: of poor quality or nature

bum advice

: not valid or deserved

writing a bum check

: not pleasant or enjoyable

a bum trip

: affected or disabled by damage or injury

has a bum knee

bum

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verb (1)

bummed; bumming

intransitive verb

: loaf

bummed around the house all day

: to spend time unemployed and often wandering

—often used with around

spent a couple of months bumming around Mexico

transitive verb

: to obtain by asking or begging : cadge

bum a cigarette

bum

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noun (2)

: one who sponges (see sponge entry 2 sense 2) off others and avoids work

He's a lazy bum.

: one who performs a function poorly

called the umpire a bum

: one whose time is devoted to a recreational activity

a beach bum

ski bums

: vagrant, tramp

bums sleeping on park benches

bum

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noun (3)

: a drinking spree : bender

a 2-day bum

bum

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verb (2)

bummed; bumming; bums

transitive verb

US, informal

: disappoint, depress

—usually used with out

The news really bummed me out.

Phrases

on the bum

: with no settled residence or means of support

Example Sentences

Adjective that was bum advice that you got from that website

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Carry Me crossbody from July is my new bum bag. —

Meaghan Kenny, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2022 In the front, there is a sushi-style conveyor belt of red-hot accessories where guests can pluck a Gucci bum bag or a Balenciaga City bag at their leisure. —

Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 27 May 2022 Functional bum bags and backpacks, ideal for when heading out for a summer getaway, bring color, texture and heritage to a chic eclectic ensemble. —

Bianca Salonga, Forbes, 5 July 2021 Hauser fights through a bum knee to keep the Spartans in it, but Wisconsin — the top free-throw shooting team in the conference — seals it at the line late. —

Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 25 Dec. 2020 Hate to see QB Teddy Bridgewater miss any time with a bum knee. —

Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 17 Nov. 2020 Lockjaw was a bum suffering from tetanus, staying in a flop in Pittsburgh. —

Justin Beal, Harper’s Magazine , 12 Dec. 2022 The Cowboys will need Dak to be a little more mobile with Ezekiel Elliott nursing a bum knee. —

Dallas News, 28 Oct. 2022 If your favorite Jeep lover is also a sun bum, gift them this cool trucker hat. —

Jon Langston, Car and Driver, 3 Oct. 2022

Verb

Be open to all possibilities — even ones that might bum you out. —

Meredith Goldstein, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Oct. 2022 If that's not enough to bum you out, then this might: September, which begins on Thursday, is historically the worst month of the year for the stock market. —

Paul R. La Monica, CNN, 28 Aug. 2022 As Ava quietly panics, Deborah gets increasingly frustrated with trying to articulate her traumas onstage in a way that won’t just bum everyone out. —

Caroline Framke, Variety, 6 May 2022 There are only regular, Gladiator-loving, cow-eating Americans, and the venomous wokery that seeks constantly to bum them out. —

James Parker, The Atlantic, 5 May 2022 Cords fray, laptops lag, and those old headphones on your desk are just beginning to bum you out. —

Haley Sprankle, Wired, 16 Mar. 2022 My view is there is no way to talk about him and his role in a way that does not deeply bum some people out. —

Stephanie Stradley, Chron, 11 Mar. 2022 Then in July 2017, a drunken LaBeouf was arrested around 4 a.m. in Savannah, Ga., after trying to bum a smoke off two men, one of whom was a police officer. —

Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2020 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.