bummer

1 of 2

noun (1)

bum·​mer ˈbə-mər How to pronounce bummer (audio)
: one that bums

bummer

2 of 2

noun (2)

1
: an unpleasant experience (such as a bad reaction to a hallucinogenic drug)
2

Examples of bummer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But the cannabis hopefuls showing up at marijuana dispensaries got a bummer of a realization: Marijuana stores won’t be selling recreational weed anytime soon. Peter Hecht, Sacramento Bee, 21 Feb. 2024 This year’s headlines on electric vehicles have been a bummer. Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 15 Feb. 2024 In other words, all those digital copies are going away, too, which is a massive bummer for anyone who purchased — and later sold — eligible DVDs or Blu-rays, hoping to store the digital copies on Funimation forever. Emma Roth, The Verge, 8 Feb. 2024 The lack of subscription discounts is a bummer, as are a few automation annoyances, but they can be overlooked when considering the big picture. Gabriel Zamora, PCMAG, 31 Jan. 2024 No complaints about 3-1 overall last week, but the washout against the spread was a plain bummer. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 25 Jan. 2024 The bummer: Revenue is still down 20 percent to 21 percent from 2019, the last year before the COVID-19 crisis. Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Dec. 2023 Eventually, a few people piped up, and DeSantis responded with a mélange of bummers. Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2024 Cable news can be a bummer, even in a festive season. Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 5 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bummer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

probably modification of German Bummler loafer, from bummeln to dangle, loaf

Noun (2)

bum entry 2 + -er entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1855, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1966, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bummer was in 1855

Dictionary Entries Near bummer

Cite this Entry

“Bummer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bummer. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bummer

noun
bum·​mer
ˈbəm-ər
1
: an unpleasant experience, event, or situation
2
: something that fails : flop
Etymology

Noun

2bum

More from Merriam-Webster on bummer

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