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a person who bums off others.
the unpleasant aftermath of taking narcotic drugs, especially frightening hallucinations or unpleasant physical sensations.
any unpleasant or disappointing experience:
That concert was a real bummer.
(used to express disappointment, frustration, or the like):
Looks like we’re having a test tomorrow—bummer!
a person who avoids work and sponges on others; loafer; idler.
a tramp, hobo, or derelict.
Informal. an enthusiast of a specific sport or recreational activity, especially one who gives it priority over work, family life, etc.:
a ski bum; a tennis bum.
Informal. an incompetent person.
a drunken orgy; debauch.
Informal. to borrow without expectation of returning; get for nothing; cadge:
He’s always bumming cigarettes from me.
Slang. to ruin or spoil:
The weather bummed our whole weekend.
to sponge on others for a living; lead an idle or dissolute life.
to live as a hobo.
of poor, wretched, or miserable quality; worthless.
disappointing; unpleasant.
erroneous or ill-advised; misleading:
That tip on the stock market was a bum steer.
lame:
a bum leg.
bum around, Informal. to travel, wander, or spend one’s time aimlessly:
We bummed around for a couple of hours after work.
bum (someone) out, Slang. to disappoint, upset, or annoy:
It really bummed me out that she could have helped and didn’t.
on the bum, Informal.

living or traveling as or in a manner suggesting that of a hobo or tramp.
in a state of disrepair or disorder:
The oven is on the bum again.

Contemporary Examples

Is Pot Good for Lungs? New Marijuana Study Adds to Health-Effects Debate Anneli Rufus January 13, 2012

Historical Examples

Lights and Shadows of New York Life James D. McCabe
Lights and Shadows of New York Life James D. McCabe
The Slang Dictionary John Camden Hotten

noun (slang)
an unpleasant or disappointing experience
(mainly US) a vagrant or idler
an adverse reaction to a drug, characterized by panic or fear
noun
(Brit, slang) the buttocks or anus
noun
a disreputable loafer or idler
a tramp; hobo
an irresponsible, unpleasant, or mean person
a person who spends a great deal of time on a specified sport: baseball bum
on the bum

living as a loafer or vagrant
out of repair; broken

verb bums, bumming, bummed
(transitive) to get by begging; cadge: to bum a lift
(intransitive) often foll by around. to live by begging or as a vagrant or loafer
(intransitive) usually foll by around. to spend time to no good purpose; loaf; idle
(US & Canadian, slang) bum someone off, to disappoint, annoy, or upset someone
adjective
(prenominal) of poor quality; useless
wrong or inappropriate: a bum note
n.
n.
v.
adj.

bum1: an old bummer named Rumson (1855+)
An unpleasant or depressing experience with a narcotic, esp with LSD; bad trip (1960s+ Narcotics)
Any bad experience or occasion; bad situation or place: May 17—Trip was a bummer. Instead of being off by ourselves, we met another couple (1960s+ Counterculture)

Inferior; defective; lousy: That’s a real bum notion you have there (1850s+)
: I told a bum story first/ He just didn’t want me to think he had a car with a bum clutch (1859+)

A person who seldom works, seldom stays in one place, and survives by begging and petty theft; vagrant; drifter, hobo (1860s+)
A promiscuous woman, esp a cheap prostitute: picking up bums in public dance halls (1930+)
Any male who is disliked by the speaker, esp for lack of energy, direction, or talent •Often used of inept or despised athletes: The bum strikes out three times in a row (1920+)
A person who lives or tries to live by his or her sports talent and charm, usually without being genuinely professional: Developed by volleyball bums who hated the regimentation of the indoor game (1950s+)
An inferior animal, breed, racehorse, etc (1930+)
Anything inferior or ineffectual: Money is a bum, a no-good bum (1950s+)

To live as a tramp, drifter, etc: It wasn’t easy bumming that winter/ He bummed for a couple of years, then got a job (1860s+)
To beg or borrow; cadge: A schooner can be grafted if you’re fierce at bumming (1850s+)
(also bum one’s way, bum a ride) To hitchhike: They bummed all the way to Alaska (1920s+)
To deceive; victimize: Anyone who’s seen this halfbaked ode to mixed marital relations realizes that the star has been bummed into a bit role (1960s+)
To improve something, esp by exploiting its full potential or rearranging its parts: I bummed the whole program to show up all possible mistakes (Computer)
(also bum out) To become depressed, discouraged, or irritated: You don’t want to pull off the information superhighway because you’re already dialed into an on-line service. Don’t bum (1960s+)

bum around
bum out
bum rap
bum steer