Definition of BUM (original) (raw)
1
a
: of poor quality or nature
b
: not valid or deserved
c
: not pleasant or enjoyable
2
: affected or disabled by damage or injury
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
1
informal + disapproving : someone who lives off others and avoids work : sponge
2
: someone who performs a function poorly
The fans called the umpire a bum.
3
: someone whose time is devoted to a recreational activity
4
informal + usually disparaging : a person who has no established residence and wanders from place to place without lawful or visible means of support
bums sleeping on park benches
Synonyms of bum
Examples of bum in a Sentence
Noun (1)
I decided to get off my bum and get some exercise Adjective
that was bum advice that you got from that website Verb (1)
spent most of the summer just bumming around the house Noun (2)
if you expect an allowance, you have to do some chores and stop being such a bum I feel sorry for bums and occasionally give them money
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
History buffs, avid hikers, music lovers, wine aficionados, and beach bums will all find a town to love in the Old Dominion. —
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 May 2026 Squinting through the flatulent fog, Absalom manages to return fire, planting a red-hot iron on Nicholas’s bum. —Literary Hub, 4 May 2026
On March 17, a video obtained by TMZ showed LaBeouf in a hotel lobby in Rome, Italy, wearing only his underwear and trying to bum a light for a cigarette. —Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026 Spring cleaning bumming you out? —K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bum
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 1
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
Browse Nearby Words
Cite this Entry
“Bum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bum. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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