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
Ian Irving, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
The business is the baby of an entrepreneurial ski-bum named Mark Johnson and a fifth-generation potato farmer named Brian Kirschenmann.
—Brent Rose, Outside, 28 Feb. 2026
Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 4 Dec. 2025
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was bummed out by Tech’s decision.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bum
Noun
What does the phrase squeaky bum time, the racehorse Devon Loch, and the Portuguese proverb ‘morrer na prais’ all have in common?
—Ian Irving, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
The business is the baby of an entrepreneurial ski-bum named Mark Johnson and a fifth-generation potato farmer named Brian Kirschenmann.
—Brent Rose, Outside, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
Headed to the mountains for the holidays and bummed about the slow progression of the snowpack?
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 4 Dec. 2025
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was bummed out by Tech’s decision.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bum
Adjective
-
While youth suicide remains a leading cause of death, the youth suicide rate is down in Colorado, and the number of kids reporting poor mental health also dropped from 23% in 2023 to 14% in 2025.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The launch came amid overcast skies and a weather forecast that was reduced to just a 75% chance for good conditions, according to Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron, which also noted a moderate risk for poor conditions at the booster landing site.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, compounding pharmacies that sell cheaper knockoffs of these products are disrupting the marketplace.—
CHRISTOPHER ROWLAND THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Mail-only ballot elections are a cheaper, though slightly uncommon, alternative for cities when no candidates are on the ballot, like in the case of the upcoming April 21 election in the City Beautiful, according to Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And for those who want to lounge and nap as much as possible, Costa Rica has plenty of all-inclusive resorts that are conducive to complete relaxation.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Amenities include lush landscaped areas, pools, spas, lounging areas, a pavilion and 14 private boat slips.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Even if the football this summer is terrible, plenty of the teams are going to look great.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
In the 1970s-1980s, all the agricultural talk in the Mississippi Delta was whether the boll weevil would be terrible or just awful this coming fall.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The pair had been loafing for some time among a grove of apple trees on a private residence in Payson.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Within a few moments, an antlerless deer emerged, loafing along toward Ronnie, completely unalarmed.—
Jim Moore,
Outdoor Life,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The exoplanet's atmosphere contains gases like water, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide -- which can smell like rotten eggs, especially when burned.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
But it’s most often used in a more contemporary story as an ancestral home of an ancient, perhaps even rotten Establishment.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Both teams were shorthanded with eight players on each side ruled out due to injuries – or rest in the case of Kyle Filipowski, a 22-year-old forward who played 25 minutes two nights earlier in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
16 Mar. 2026
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Much of the progress toward eliminating sleeping sickness rests on the work of African researchers and patients who took part in the trials, despite difficult conditions.—
Fran Kritz,
NPR,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Nobody paid much attention to weather forecasts because winter days were usually the same and, if different, just worse.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Jokic eagerly took advantage of bad transition defense, looking for long outlet passes to Braun and Bruce Brown.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bum. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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