bum

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun American English · Informal

n. a person who has no home or job, or someone who is very lazy.

n. a person who avoids work and lives on others; also used to describe a person experiencing homelessness.

“He's been a total bum since he lost his job and won't even look for a new one.”

“The local residents complained about the bums sleeping in the park, though the city lacked sufficient shelter space to house them.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal · Slang

v. to ask someone to give you something for free, like a cigarette or a lift.

v. to obtain something by begging or borrowing without the intent of returning it. Often used with 'off' or 'from'.

“Can I bum a cigarette off you?”

“He managed to bum a ride to the coast with some students who were heading that way for the weekend.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal · Slang

v. to make someone feel sad or disappointed.

v. to depress or dispirit someone. Almost always used in the phrasal form 'bum out'.

“It really bums me out that we can't go to the concert tonight.”

“The news about the budget cuts really bummed the whole team out, especially after they had worked so hard on the project.”

C1 · Advanced Informal · Slang

adj. of poor quality, or not working correctly.

adj. of poor quality, useless, or physically defective (such as an injury).

“I can't go hiking because I have a bum knee.”

“The mechanic told me the car was a total loss because of a bum engine that would cost more to fix than the vehicle was worth.”