What does "bummer" mean?
A forager, especially in Sherman's March to the Sea of November to December 1864.
Bummer
/ˈbʌ.mɚ/ adj, intj, noun, slang
adj, intj, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A forager, especially in Sherman's March to the Sea of November to December 1864.
- Grammar: bummer is listed as adj, intj, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: adverse circumstances, adversity, affliction, aggravation.
- Useful contrasts: advantageous, awesome, cheerful colleague.
- Usage evidence: "I can't go dancing with you." "Bummer."
How to use "bummer"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bummer" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bummer" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bummer" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bummer" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bummer" is acting as adj, intj, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "adverse circumstances" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bummer", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A forager, especially in Sherman's March to the Sea of November to December 1864. historical, obsolete
- 2 A disappointment, a pity, a shame. colloquial
"That's a total bummer."
- 3 A gay man. UK, derogatory, offensive, slang
"You know, the kind of guy who would, if he wasn't gay, probably be shouting ‘Oi, gay boy!’ or ‘You bummer!’ or even ‘Oi, paki!’ or what have you. They're not enlightened."
- 4 a bad reaction to a hallucinogenic drug wordnet
- 5 An idle, worthless fellow, without any visible means of support; a dissipated sponger. US, dated, slang
"“If I get away I sha’n’t be here,” I says, “to prove these rapscallions ain’t your uncles, and I couldn’t do it if I was here. I could swear they was beats and bummers, that’s all, though that’s worth something."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A psychedelic crisis; hallucinogenic drug use producing undesirable dysphoric psychological effects, most often fear, paranoia, and especially horrifying hallucinations; a bad trip. dated, slang
"This young man never had a bummer in some 33 LSD trips. Every one of the them was a delight—everything under control. He needed only to snap his fingers, and down he came, anytime. But on Voyage 34, he finally met himself coming down an up staircase, and the encounter was crushing."
- 7 an experience that is irritating or frustrating or disappointing wordnet
- 8 A lamb (typically the smallest of a multiple birth) which has been abandoned by its mother or orphaned, and as a consequence is raised in part or in whole by humans.
Adjective
- 1 comparative form of bum: more bum comparative, form-of
Intj
- 1 Exclamation of annoyance or frustration at a bummer (disappointment). colloquial
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
""I can't go dancing with you." "Bummer.""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bummer"?
Common synonyms include: adverse circumstances, adversity, affliction, aggravation, alas, annoyance.
How do you use "bummer" in a sentence?
"I can't go dancing with you." "Bummer."
How do you pronounce "bummer"?
Pronounced /ˈbʌ.mɚ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From German Bummler (“a drifter, a stroller, a rambler, a loiterer, a laggard”), from bummeln (“loaf, loiter, stroll, ramble”).
Etymology 2
From bum (“make unhappy”) + -er (agent noun suffix), originally US drug slang.
Etymology 3
From bum (“engage in anal sex”) + -er (agent noun suffix).
Etymology 4
From bum + -er (comparative suffix).