Library / English Dictionary

BUM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: bummed    , bumming   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

Example:

are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?

Synonyms:

arse; ass; backside; behind; bottom; bum; buns; butt; buttocks; can; derriere; fanny; fundament; hind end; hindquarters; keister; nates; posterior; prat; rear; rear end; rump; seat; stern; tail; tail end; tooshie; tush

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("bum" is a kind of...):

body part (any part of an organism such as an organ or extremity)

Holonyms ("bum" is a part of...):

body; torso; trunk (the body excluding the head and neck and limbs)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Person who does no work

Example:

a lazy bum

Synonyms:

bum; do-nothing; idler; layabout; loafer

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("bum" is a kind of...):

nonworker (a person who does nothing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bum"):

whittler (someone who whittles (usually as an idle pastime))

trifler (one who behaves lightly or not seriously)

sunbather (someone who basks in the sunshine in order to get a suntan)

spiv (a person without employment who makes money by various dubious schemes; goes about smartly dressed and having a good time)

slug; sluggard (an idle slothful person)

shirker; slacker (a person who shirks his work or duty (especially one who tries to evade military service in wartime))

loon (a worthless lazy fellow)

lie-abed; slugabed (a person who stays in bed until a relatively late hour)

lazybones (a lazy person)

goldbrick; good-for-naught; good-for-nothing; goof-off; ne'er-do-well; no-account (an idle worthless person)

daydreamer; woolgatherer (someone who indulges in idle or absentminded daydreaming)

dawdler; drone; laggard; lagger; poke; trailer (someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behind)

dallier; dilly-dallier; dillydallier; lounger; mope (someone who wastes time)

couch potato (an idler who spends much time on a couch (usually watching television))

clock watcher (a worker preoccupied with the arrival of quitting time)

Derivation:

bum (ask for and get free; be a parasite)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible

Example:

the British call a contemptible person a 'git'

Synonyms:

bum; crumb; dirty dog; git; lowlife; puke; rat; rotter; scum bag; skunk; so-and-so; stinker; stinkpot

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("bum" is a kind of...):

disagreeable person; unpleasant person (a person who is not pleasant or agreeable)

Derivation:

bum (of very poor quality; flimsy)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A vagrant

Example:

he tried to help the really down-and-out bums

Synonyms:

bum; hobo; tramp

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("bum" is a kind of...):

clochard; drifter; floater; vagabond; vagrant (a wanderer who has no established residence or visible means of support)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bum"):

dosser; street person (someone who sleeps in any convenient place)

 II. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of very poor quality; flimsy

Synonyms:

bum; cheap; cheesy; chintzy; crummy; punk; sleazy; tinny

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

inferior (of low or inferior quality)

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

Derivation:

bum (a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible)

 III. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Ask for and get free; be a parasite

Synonyms:

bum; cadge; grub; mooch; sponge

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "bum" is one way to...):

obtain (come into possession of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bum"):

freeload (live off somebody's generosity)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

bum (person who does no work)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Be lazy or idle

Example:

Her son is just bumming around all day

Synonyms:

arse about; arse around; bum; bum about; bum around; frig around; fuck off; loaf; loll; loll around; lounge about; lounge around; waste one's time

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "bum" is one way to...):

idle; laze; slug; stagnate (be idle; exist in a changeless situation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Credits