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
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Recent Examples of bum
Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 8 Jan. 2026
And the oversized top has a split hem that falls below the bum.
—Melody Kazel, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
The cranky and irritating backseat driver, who bums a lift midway through the Griswolds' adventure, also has with her the easily excitable pooch Dinky.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bum
Noun
Actress Jodie Foster was just photographed toting the perfect hands-free carryall—sort of like a hybrid, crossbody-bag-meets-bum-bag.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 8 Jan. 2026
And the oversized top has a split hem that falls below the bum.
—Melody Kazel, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
Alabama gave Georgia its first home loss in six years with a 24-21 constriction; Oregon rode a pair of Moores (Dante and Dakorien) to bum out Happy Valley in extra time.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
The cranky and irritating backseat driver, who bums a lift midway through the Griswolds' adventure, also has with her the easily excitable pooch Dinky.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bum
Adjective
-
Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
-
In recent games, KU’s communication has been pretty poor on defense and that’s led to players taking (and too often missing) wide-open 3-pointers.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China have designed a new sodium-sulfur battery with higher power density and discharge capacity than before, enabling a cheaper, safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Fentanyl is cheap, compact, and lethal at microscopic doses, produced through decentralized networks designed to survive disruption.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
They can easily be transitioned from lounging at home to a street-ready outfit or casual traveling, as the stripes can be mixed and matched with a wide range of tops like blazers, denim jackets, and simple tees—all without looking sloppy.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
-
This chair makes an ideal lounging spot for reading or watching television, thanks to its supportive foam construction.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Often the boarding school is a site for terrible trauma.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
-
The family settled in the Chicago area during a terrible snowstorm, a shock to Noorani's parents, who came from the tropical Tanzanian island of Zanzibar.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Within a few moments, an antlerless deer emerged, loafing along toward Ronnie, completely unalarmed.—
Jim Moore,
Outdoor Life,
8 Oct. 2025
-
She is seen going over the shots planned for the next day and remembering that some loafing around is planned.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Four long years, during which the relationship between the flashy, flamboyant player and the sometimes-stodgy organization that turned him into a Charlotte legend seemed to spoil, turning almost rotten at times.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Traitors is about the gullible and the skeptical working together to sieve the fraudulent from the truthful, an amalgamated nightmare of village idiots locking themselves in the stocks and pelting each other with rotten fruit.—
Raven Smith,
Vogue,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Letting cookie dough rest is one of the hardest parts of making cookies.—
Heather Riske,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
-
That’s why investing in a plush, comfortable duvet insert or comforter is essential for creating a cozy oasis to start the new year off well-rested.—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Now, but as the statistics and figures come in here in Minneapolis, there's double-digit drops in crime, coupled with a lot of bad people and bad things being taken off of your streets.—
Esme Murphy,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Under President Biden, the FTC and DOJ slowed large transactions, suggesting that all big businesses were bad businesses.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bum. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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