bummer

1 of 2

noun (1)

bum·​mer ˈbə-mər 

: one that bums

bummer

2 of 2

noun (2)

1

a

: an unpleasant experience

specifically : a bad reaction to a hallucinogenic drug

b

: something that is unpleasant or disappointing

You can't go? What a bummer!

2

: failure, flop

Synonyms of bummer

Noun (1)

• accident
• bore
• downer

Noun (2)

• hobo
• beggar
• bum
• transient
• tramp
• swaggie

Examples of bummer in a Sentence

Noun (1)

boy, breaking your leg right before vacation is a bummer

the cancellation of the holiday office party was a total bummer

that new start-up company proved to be a real bummer

Noun (2)

a lifelong bummer, he never knew the satisfaction of having to work for a living

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And while this dressing-down of beloved works might seem like another bummer in a world of doomscrolling, @heartthrobanderson is anything but. —Jessica Lipsky, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026

But kind of a bummer today, to see it as a mistrial — that was a punch to the stomach. —Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026

If this is the end of all of our lives, well, that’s a bummer. —Rachel Handler, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026

If the tonal whiplash doesn’t zap your spirit, the double-bummer of a relentlessly morbid penultimate episode and its impossibly bonkers finale has to leave you questioning whether Season 2 can get back on track. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 23 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

probably modification of German Bummler loafer, from bummeln to dangle, loaf

Noun (2)

bum entry 2 + -er entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1855, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1965, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for bummer

• comer
• drummer
• dumber
• hummer
• plumber
• plummer
• somer
• summer
• trimer
• midsummer
• newcomer

Kids Definition

bummer

noun

bum·​mer

ˈbəm-ər

1

: an unpleasant experience, event, or situation

2

: something that fails : flop

Etymology

Noun

²bum