bum

1 of 6

noun (1)

: buttocks
fell down on his bum

bum

2 of 6

adjective

1
a
: of poor quality or nature
bum advice
b
: not valid or deserved
writing a bum check
c
: not pleasant or enjoyable
a bum trip
2
: affected or disabled by damage or injury
has a bum knee

bum

3 of 6

verb (1)

bummed; bumming

intransitive verb

1
: loaf
bummed around the house all day
2
: to spend time unemployed and often wandering
often used with around
spent a couple of months bumming around Mexico

transitive verb

: to obtain by asking or begging : cadge
bum a cigarette

bum

4 of 6

noun (2)

1
a
: one who sponges (see sponge entry 2 sense 2) off others and avoids work
He's a lazy bum.
b
: one who performs a function poorly
called the umpire a bum
c
: one whose time is devoted to a recreational activity
a beach bum
ski bums
2
: vagrant, tramp
bums sleeping on park benches

bum

5 of 6

noun (3)

: a drinking spree : bender
a 2-day bum

bum

6 of 6

verb (2)

bummed; bumming; bums

transitive verb

US, informal
: disappoint, depress
usually used with out
The news really bummed me out.
Phrases
on the bum
: with no settled residence or means of support

Examples of bum in a Sentence

Adjective that was bum advice that you got from that website
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Growing up in Ghana, the women around me were mostly shaped the same: wide hips, big chests, and, of course, big bums; to me, this was normal. Annie Blay, Allure, 22 Feb. 2024 Not many travelers imagine the Lone Star State as a beach bum’s paradise. Pam Leblanc, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Mar. 2024 There are no bums or drug addicts or rapists or people waiting to push you onto the train tracks and kill you. Peter Suciu, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 These people kept me in touch with the fact that not everyone has a college degree, not everyone wears a suit and tie, or eats three meals a day, and not everyone who is poor or homeless is a bum or a thief. Kanyakrit Vongkiatkajorn, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2024 Chesney sings a lot about being a beach bum, but his stage persona is anything but lazy. Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024 But ultimately, the creators of the show realize that, for better or worse, people are going to be taking particular notice every time a bare bum or the like flashes across the screen. EW.com, 27 Oct. 2023 Barbie missing there was the first bum note for the summer comedy, then things got worse. Vulture, 23 Jan. 2024 Part of the Dolphins recent problems are bum sports luck, but the others part tell another story. Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2024
Verb
As far as what to expect, the first week of March is more problematic on the logistical side of things, and the middle part of the month is more likely to bum you out. Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Feb. 2024 What could be a discouraging moment turns on a dime into a sing-along as Bridgers and Dacus swoop in over and underneath Baker’s vocal, ending a song about things breaking down with a roaring round about bumming quick cash off a friend. Vulture, 4 Feb. 2024 You can be bummed for your loss and happy for somebody else’s win at the same time. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 6 Feb. 2024 Elsewhere in the episode, Carolla joked that he was bummed nobody praised him for riding a unicycle during one of his dances. Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 17 Jan. 2024 But the flat iron and the curling iron? For the friend who’s perpetually low on battery Some people say bumming a mobile charge is akin to bumming a cigarette and not in a good way. Leslie Yazel, wsj.com, 14 Dec. 2023 The process isn't over, but as a D.C. resident, I am bummed out about all this. Teo Armus, Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2023 Sony bummed up its on-board storage too with 1TB of space instead of 825GB from the last version. Rudie Obias, Variety, 27 Nov. 2023 But the fact that many people are still bummed about the price of groceries and the level of mortgage rates shouldn’t be allowed to obscure what is shaping up as a historic victory over inflation. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bum.' 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)

Middle English bom

Adjective

perhaps from bum entry 4

Verb (1)

probably back-formation from bummer entry 1

Noun (2)

probably short for bummer entry 1

Noun (3)

perhaps from bum entry 3

Verb (2)

probably back-formation from bummer entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1878, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

1863, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (3)

1863, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bum was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near bum

Cite this Entry

“Bum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bum. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bum

1 of 5 noun

bum

2 of 5 adjective
1
a
: inferior sense 3, worthless
bum advice
b
: not true or deserved
a bum rap
c
: not enjoyable
a bum trip
2
: unable to work properly : disabled
a bum knee

bum

3 of 5 verb
bummed; bumming
1
: to wander around avoiding work
2
: to obtain by asking or begging
bum a ride

bum

4 of 5 noun
1
: a person who avoids work and tries to live off others
2

bum

5 of 5 verb
: sadden
usually used with out
the news really bummed me out
Etymology

Noun

Middle English bom

Adjective

perhaps from 4bum

Verb

probably from bummer "one who avoids work"

Noun

probably short for bummer "one who avoids work," probably from German Bummler "loafer"

Verb

probably from bummer

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