bummer

1 of 2

noun (1)

bum·​mer ˈbə-mər How to pronounce bummer (audio)
: one that bums

bummer

2 of 2

noun (2)

1
: an unpleasant experience (such as a bad reaction to a hallucinogenic drug)
2

Examples of bummer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
So, yeah, not being around everyone all the time was definitely a bummer about filming 4, but 5 is the opposite. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 The upcoming 420 Day holiday might be a bummer for Kentuckians. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 18 Mar. 2024 But the cannabis hopefuls showing up at marijuana dispensaries got a bummer of a realization: Marijuana stores won’t be selling recreational weed anytime soon. Peter Hecht, Sacramento Bee, 21 Feb. 2024 This year’s headlines on electric vehicles have been a bummer. Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 15 Feb. 2024 In other words, all those digital copies are going away, too, which is a massive bummer for anyone who purchased — and later sold — eligible DVDs or Blu-rays, hoping to store the digital copies on Funimation forever. Emma Roth, The Verge, 8 Feb. 2024 The lack of subscription discounts is a bummer, as are a few automation annoyances, but they can be overlooked when considering the big picture. Gabriel Zamora, PCMAG, 31 Jan. 2024 No complaints about 3-1 overall last week, but the washout against the spread was a plain bummer. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 25 Jan. 2024 The bummer: Revenue is still down 20 percent to 21 percent from 2019, the last year before the COVID-19 crisis. Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bummer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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)

1966, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bummer was in 1855

Dictionary Entries Near bummer

Cite this Entry

“Bummer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bummer. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

bummer

noun
bum·​mer
ˈbəm-ər
1
: an unpleasant experience, event, or situation
2
: something that fails : flop
Etymology

Noun

2bum

More from Merriam-Webster on bummer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!