bum
- adjective
- /bʌm/
- Informal
- The presentation was filled with bum ideas that failed to impress the audience.
Examples
-
After examining the reviews, I realized that the product had received bum ratings from critics.
-
I fell prey to a nasty infection last week, despite frequent exercise and hand-washing, and it was totally bum (this is my new phrase for illness).
Blog text (30) -
True, nanotechnology had a really bum rap, hysteria spilling over from the furor over genetically modified foods.
Fiction book (2002) -
He gave me some bum advice, which caused me to make a poor decision in my project.
Synonyms
Not made well and breaks or wears out quickly
Of very poor quality and likely to break
Low quality and unpleasant
Looks low quality and cheaply made, like a plastic toy
Poor quality and likely to break quickly
Poorly made and cheap so it breaks or wears quickly
Cheap and poorly made, likely to fall apart quickly
A thing that is thin, weak, and breaks easily
A part that does not work properly or is weak, often for body parts and machines
Idioms
Compounds
- Offensive
A person, often a company leader, who gets government money they do not deserve
- Slur
A rude word for a person who gets government money and is seen as not trying to work
How Bad
Surface Forms
Etymology
Bum meaning 'very bad' comes from an older slang use of bum for someone of little value; so if something is 'bum' it is useless or 'worthless'.