as in poor
of low quality
that was bum advice that you got from that website
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in cheeks
the part of the body upon which someone sits
I decided to get off my bum and get some exercise
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in hobo
an idle worthless person
if you expect an allowance, you have to do some chores and stop being such a bum
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in beggar
a homeless wanderer who may beg or steal for a living
I feel sorry for bums and occasionally give them money
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to lazy
to spend time doing nothing
spent most of the summer just bumming around the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bum
Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 20 May 2026
Kentucky, vote the bum out on Tuesday.
—Quinn Scanlan, ABC News, 17 May 2026
Erin Qualey, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026
Action that doesn't get exhausting, humor that isn't repetitive and drama that won't bum you out, these shows go down easy and keep you hungry for more.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bum
Noun
In addition to being shown on the broadcast, the moment, which saw the fan's pants completely fall down and bare their bum, was seemingly blasted on the JumboTron inside the stadium based on the crowd's unanimous gasp in reaction to the full moon display from the fan.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 20 May 2026
Kentucky, vote the bum out on Tuesday.
—Quinn Scanlan, ABC News, 17 May 2026
Verb
Officer Rory lets Greg go, but the combination of the walk and thinking about his daughter’s predicament has bummed him out.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026
Action that doesn't get exhausting, humor that isn't repetitive and drama that won't bum you out, these shows go down easy and keep you hungry for more.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bum
Adjective
-
If poor flowering persists year after year, consider planting a different variety of tomatoes that better suits your climate.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
-
The only question now is how much of the public's time and money the Mayor is willing to waste to obscure the numerous poor decisions her administration and the County have made for decades.—
Manuel Bojorquez,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
The handcrafted Baked Collection features intense pigments whipped into a decadent cream, then baked on terracotta tiles into a powder to ripen color vibrancy -- a feast for eyes, cheeks, lips, and face in vibrant, weightless colors with all-day wear.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
-
Iran had scored its first goal and amid whoops of joy, Parvin, 76, who declined to provide her last name, wiped tears from her cheeks.—
Suhauna Hussain,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Taylor, for one, opted for a deep wine, velvet Ralph Lauren tank dress paired with a Chloé bracelet hobo bag, and gold Aquazurra sandals.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
14 June 2026
-
Schneider plays David, a reticent young man with the soulful-hobo air of a Beat poet, who makes a living as an events photographer but whose private passion is a secretive lifelong project, inherited from his father, documenting the changing Parisian suburbs.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Gaudí, a committed Catholic, was known for wearing ragged clothes and did not immediately receive medical attention because onlookers mistook him for a beggar.—
Raf Sanchez,
NBC news,
9 June 2026
-
Kathleen Clark, an ethics lawyer who teaches at Washington University’s law school, told me, adding that this stance beggars belief.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Thanks to its large construction capacity to hold up to 600 pounds and balance-spreader bar designed for stability, multiple people can lounge in the hammock at once.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
-
The large private compound boasts a gym, a spa, a theater, a pool, a large terrace for lounging and barbecuing, and a personal-size soccer field.—
Katie Schultz,
Architectural Digest,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
This momentum reflects rapid advances in both AI and hardware over the past two years, driven by better models and cheaper components.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Dec. 2025
-
More people appear to be walking away from Affordable Care Act coverage or switching to cheaper plans for 2026 compared to this time last year, according to early enrollment data from several states.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The populist Swiss People’s Party, which has the most seats in parliament, has stirred up and fostered anti-migration sentiment over the years, notably about an influx of workers from European Union nations.—
Jamey Keaten,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
The game followed a championship series filled with down-to-the-wire face-offs won by edge-of-your-seat buzzer beaters.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
For months, if not years, squatters making themselves at home in the derelict Park Square Court space would traverse the skyway over to the Railroader building, where office tenants would sometimes call police to get unruly characters out of the bathroom.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
5 Dec. 2025
-
Fans of dark storytelling will find cruel necromancers, derelict mansions and strange alchemies in this page-turning epic.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
4 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bum. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
