Bum — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective verb /ˈbəm/

Meaning & Definition of Bum

Bum (noun)

  1. buttocks
  2. someone who lives off others and avoids work, sponge
  3. someone who performs a function poorly
  4. someone whose time is devoted to a recreational activity
  5. a drinking spree, bender

Bum (adjective)

  1. of poor quality or nature
  2. not valid or deserved
  3. not pleasant or enjoyable

Bum (verb)

  1. loaf
  2. to spend time unemployed and often wandering —often used with around
  3. to obtain by asking or begging, cadge
  4. disappoint, depress —usually used with out

Bum (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. of low quality

    "that was bum advice that you got from that website"

    similar: bad, bargain-basement, cheap, cheapjack, cheesy, coarse, common, crappy (slang), cut-rate, el cheapo, execrable, gimcrack, inferior, junky, lousy, low-grade, low-rent, mediocre, miserable, poor, rotten, rubbishy, schlock, second-rate, shoddy, sleazy, terrible, trashy, trumpery, wretched
    related: useless, valueless, worthless, indifferent, lackluster, second-class, brummagem, flashy, garish, gaudy, glitzy, kitsch, kitschy, meretricious, ostentatious, showy, splashy, swank, tawdry, seedy, shabby, tacky, counterfeit, fake, phony, sham, supercheap, ultracheap
    opposite: excellent, fine, first-class, first-rate, good, high-grade, superior, top-notch
    near: elegant, handsome, tasteful, handcrafted, polished, refined

Bum (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the part of the body upon which someone sits

    "I decided to get off my bum and get some exercise"

    similar: backside, behind, booty (slang), bottom, breech, buns, butt, buttocks, caboose, can, cheeks, derriere, duff, fanny, fundament, hams, haunches, heinie (slang), hunkers, keister (slang), nates, posterior, rear, rear end, rump, seat, tail, tail end, tush (slang)
    related: beam, stern, moon (slang)

  2. an idle worthless person

    "if you expect an allowance, you have to do some chores and stop being such a bum"

    similar: derelict, do-nothing, good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well, no-account, no-good, no-goodnik, slacker, vagrant
    related: hobo, sundowner (Australian), tramp, vagabond, drifter, roamer, transient, beggar, panhandler, dodger, goldbrick, shirker, gamine, ragamuffin, urchin, waif, drone, idler, lazybones, loafer, slouch, slug, sluggard, down-and-out, indigent, pauper
    near: success, winner

  3. a homeless wanderer who may beg or steal for a living

    "I feel sorry for bums and occasionally give them money"

    similar: bindle stiff, bummer, hobo, sundowner (Australian), swaggie (chiefly Australian), swagman (chiefly Australian), tramp, vagabond, vagrant
    related: drifter, roamer, transient, beggar, derelict, mendicant, panhandler, stiff, dodger, malingerer, shirker, slacker, gamine, ragamuffin, urchin, waif

Bum (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to spend time doing nothing

    "spent most of the summer just bumming around the house"

    similar: chill, dally, dawdle, dillydally, drone, footle, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), hang about (British), idle, kick around, kick back, laze, lazy, loaf, loll, lounge, veg out, kill time, twiddle one's thumbs
    related: fiddle (around), fool, mess, monkey, muck, piddle, play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle, doze, estivate, hibernate, lag, linger, loiter, poke, relax, rest, tarry, amble, mosey, saunter, stroll, swan, furlough, goldbrick, malinger, truant
    near: drudge, grind, grub, hump, hustle, labor, moil, peg, plod, plow, plug, slave, sweat, toil, travail, work, apply, buckle (down), exert, put out

Related Entry: Bum (out) (verb)

Bum (out) is a different word from Bum. The synonyms below are for bum (out), not for bum.

  1. to make sad

    "that sort of news really bums me out"

    similar: burden, dash, deject, depress, get down, oppress, sadden, weigh down
    related: ail, distress, trouble, afflict, torment, torture, daunt, demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dismay, dispirit, unnerve, agitate, bother, concern, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, disturb, exercise, freak (out), perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, worry
    opposite: brighten, buoy, cheer (up), gladden, lighten, rejoice
    near: animate, enliven, invigorate, assure, comfort, console, reassure, solace, soothe, excite, inspire, stimulate, elate, exhilarate, encourage, hearten, delight, gratify, please, boost, elevate, lift, uplift

Related Entry: Bum (around) (verb)

Bum (around) is a different word from Bum. The synonyms below are for bum (around), not for bum.

  1. as in hang, lounge (around or about)

    similar: dawdle, goldbrick, hang, hang about (British), idle, loaf, lounge (around or about), relax, rest, screw around, slack (off), fiddle (around), mess around, putter (around), jest, joke, tease, delight, please, amuse, divert, entertain, dabble, trifle, cavort, frisk, gambol, romp, dally, disport, frolic, play, recreate, rollick, skylark, sport, toy
    opposite: drudge, labor, plod, plug (away), slave, strain, strive, struggle, sweat, toil, work

Related Entry: Bum's rush (noun)

Bum's rush is a different word from Bum. The synonyms below are for bum's rush, not for bum.

  1. as in sack, bird

    similar: bird (chiefly British), boot, downsizing, firing, heave-ho, sack, pink slip, closing, shutdown, ax, discharge, dismissal, furlough, layoff, redundancy (chiefly British), shakeout, shake-up
    opposite: callback, recall, reemployment, rehire, rehiring

Related Entry: Bum's rushes (noun)

Bum's rushes is a different word from Bum. The synonyms below are for bum's rushes, not for bum.

  1. as in sacks, birds

    similar: birds (chiefly British), boots, firings, heave-hos, sacks, pink slips, closings, shutdowns, axes, discharges, dismissals, furloughs, layoffs, redundancies (chiefly British), shakeouts, shake-ups
    opposite: callbacks, recalls, reemployments, rehires

Related Entry: Bum-rush (verb)

Bum-rush is a different word from Bum. The synonyms below are for bum-rush, not for bum.

  1. as in swarm, mob

    similar: gang up (on), mob, swarm, assail, assault, attack, beset, bushwhack, charge, descend (on or upon), go in (on), jump (on), pounce (on or upon), raid, rush, set on, sic, storm, strike, trash, turn (on), mug, rob, ambuscade, ambush, surprise, waylay, blitz, bomb, bombard, nuke, barrage, cannon, cannonade, bang away (at), batter, buffet, plaster, beleaguer, besiege, press, harry, loot, pillage, plunder, ravage, sack, foray, invade, overrun
    opposite: cover, defend, guard, protect, secure, shield

Related Entry: Bum-rushed (verb)

Bum-rushed is a different word from Bum. The synonyms below are for bum-rushed, not for bum.

  1. as in swarmed, mobbed

    similar: ganged up (on), mobbed, swarmed, assailed, assaulted, attacked, beset, bushwhacked, charged, descended (on or upon), jumped (on), pounced (on or upon), raided, rushed, set on, sicced, stormed, struck, trashed, turned (on), went in (on), mugged, robbed, ambuscaded, ambushed, surprised, waylaid, blitzed, bombarded, bombed, nuked, barraged, cannonaded, cannoned, banged away (at), battered, buffeted, plastered, beleaguered, besieged, pressed, harried, looted, pillaged, plundered, ravaged, sacked, forayed, invaded, overran
    opposite: covered, defended, guarded, protected, secured, shielded

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bum

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bum:

Slang: crappy, booty, heinie, keister, tush
Chiefly Australian: swaggie, swagman
Australian: sundowner
British: hang about
bad, bargain-basement, cheap, cheapjack, cheesy, coarse, common, cut-rate, el cheapo, execrable, gimcrack, inferior, junky, lousy, low-grade, low-rent, mediocre, miserable, poor, rotten, rubbishy, schlock, second-rate, shoddy, sleazy, terrible, trashy, trumpery, wretched, backside, behind, bottom, breech, buns, butt, buttocks, caboose, can, cheeks, derriere

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bum

Words with the opposite meaning of Bum:

excellent, fine, first-class, first-rate, good, high-grade, superior, top-notch

Related Words for Bum

useless, valueless, worthless, indifferent, lackluster, second-class, brummagem, flashy, garish, gaudy, glitzy, kitsch, kitschy, meretricious, ostentatious, showy, splashy, swank, tawdry, seedy, shabby, tacky, counterfeit, fake, phony, sham, supercheap, ultracheap, beam, stern

Near Antonyms of Bum

elegant, handsome, tasteful, handcrafted, polished, refined, success, winner, drudge, grind, grub, hump, hustle, labor, moil, peg, plod, plow, plug, slave, sweat, toil, travail, work, apply, buckle (down), exert, put out

Word Forms of Bum

Inflections: bummed, bumming, bums

Origin & Etymology of Bum

Middle English bom

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Bum

bum-rush, bum's rush, bum around, bum check

Frequently Asked Questions about Bum

What does "Bum" mean?

"Bum" means buttocks. As an a noun, an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: buttocks. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bum"?

Other words for "Bum" include bad, bargain-basement, cheap, cheapjack, cheesy, coarse, common and crappy. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bum" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bum"?

There are 180 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bum". Common alternatives include bad, bargain-basement, cheap, cheapjack, cheesy, coarse, common, crappy, cut-rate and el cheapo.

What is a slang word for "Bum"?

Slang words for "Bum" include crappy, booty, heinie, keister and tush.

What is the opposite of "Bum"?

Antonyms of "Bum" include excellent, fine, first-class, first-rate, good, high-grade, superior and top-notch. Near antonyms include elegant, handsome, tasteful and handcrafted.

How do you use "Bum" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bum" in a sentence: "that was bum advice that you got from that website"; "I decided to get off my bum and get some exercise"; "if you expect an allowance, you have to do some chores and stop being such a bum".

Is "Bum" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bum" can be used as a noun, an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Bum"?

"Bum" is pronounced /ˈbəm/.