Bum vs. Vagrant: What's the Difference?
By Aimie Carlson || Updated on May 29, 2024
A bum is typically a homeless person who is perceived as lazy and not seeking work, while a vagrant is a person without a settled home who wanders from place to place, often without a job.
Key Differences
A bum is often described as a homeless individual who does not work or seek employment. This term carries a strong negative connotation, implying laziness and a lack of ambition. Bums are frequently perceived as choosing not to work and instead relying on begging or scavenging for their needs. On the other hand, a vagrant is someone who has no permanent home and moves from place to place. While vagrants also lack stable employment, the term does not inherently imply laziness. Instead, it focuses more on the transient lifestyle and the lack of a fixed residence. Vagrants might move frequently in search of work or other opportunities, even if these efforts are not always successful.
Both terms denote homelessness, but bum often suggests a voluntary choice not to work, whereas vagrant emphasizes the transient, unsettled nature of the person's life. Bums are typically seen as staying in one area, whereas vagrants are more associated with constant movement.
Bums are often stigmatized more harshly due to the implication of unwillingness to improve their situation. In contrast, vagrants might be viewed with some sympathy as people who are simply down on their luck and continuously searching for stability.
While bums may engage in panhandling or loitering in a specific location, vagrants are more likely to be seen traveling or temporarily residing in various places. This distinction highlights different societal perceptions and stereotypes associated with each term.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Homeless person perceived as lazy
Homeless person who wanders
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Connotation
Strongly negative, implies laziness
Less negative, implies transience
Employment Status
Not seeking work
Typically unemployed
Lifestyle
Static in one area
Nomadic, moves frequently
Public Perception
Seen as unwilling to improve situation
Viewed with some sympathy
Bum and Vagrant Definitions
Bum
An individual who lives off others.
She accused her ex-husband of being a bum who refused to work.
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Vagrant
An individual with no permanent residence.
Vagrants often stay in shelters or on the streets.
Bum
Someone who begs for money instead of working.
The bum on the street corner asked everyone for spare change.
Vagrant
A wanderer who may or may not seek employment.
The police asked the vagrant about his travel plans.
Bum
A tramp; a vagrant.
Vagrant
A person who drifts from place to place.
Vagrants are often seen hitchhiking or riding freight trains.
Bum
A lazy or shiftless person, especially one who seeks to live solely by the support of others.
Vagrant
Someone who leads a nomadic lifestyle.
The vagrant's belongings were packed in a worn backpack.
Bum
An incompetent, insignificant, or obnoxious person
The batter called the pitcher a bum.
Vagrant
One who wanders from place to place without a permanent home or a means of livelihood.
Bum
One who spends a lot of time doing a particular recreational activity
A beach bum.
A ski bum.
Vagrant
(Archaic) A wanderer; a rover.
Bum
The buttocks.
Vagrant
One who lives on the streets or constitutes a public nuisance.
Bum
To live by begging and scavenging from place to place. Often used with around.
Vagrant
An animal occurring beyond its normal range; an accidental.
Bum
To pass time idly; loaf. Often used with around.
Vagrant
Wandering from place to place and lacking any means of support.
Bum
(Informal) To be depressed, disheartened, or dismayed
After our team lost the championship, we were bumming.
Vagrant
Living on the streets or constituting a public nuisance.
Bum
To acquire by begging; cadge.
Vagrant
Inconstant or capricious; wayward
"She was resolved to win my vagrant fancy" (Frank Harris).
Bum
(Informal) To depress, dishearten, or dismay. Often used with out.
Vagrant
Moving in a random fashion; having no fixed direction or pattern
Vagrant ice floes.
A vagrant aroma.
Bum
Inferior; worthless
Gave me bum advice.
Did a bum job of fixing the car.
Vagrant
Being beyond its normal range; accidental. Used of animals.
Bum
Disabled; malfunctioning
A bum shoulder.
Vagrant
(dated) A person who wanders from place to place; a nomad, a wanderer.
Bum
Unfavorable or unfair
Got a bum deal on my final grade for the course.
Vagrant
(specifically) A person without settled employment or habitation who usually supports himself or herself by begging or some dishonest means; a tramp, a vagabond.
Every morning before work, I see that poor vagrant around the neighbourhood begging for food.
Bum
Unpleasant; lousy
Had a bum time at the party.
Vagrant
Vagrans egista, a widely distributed Asian butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
Bum
The buttocks.
Okay, everyone sit on your bum and try and touch your toes.
Vagrant
An animal, typically a bird, found outside its species' usual range.
Bum
The anus.
Vagrant
Wandering from place to place, particularly when without any settled employment or habitation.
A vagrant beggar
Bum
A homeless person, usually a man.
Vagrant
Of or pertaining to a vagabond or vagrant, or a person fond of wandering.
Bum
A lazy, incompetent, or annoying person, usually a man.
Fred is becoming a bum - he's not even bothering to work more than once a month.
That mechanic's a bum - he couldn't fix a yo-yo.
That guy keeps interrupting the concert. Throw the bum out!
Vagrant
(figurative) Moving without a certain direction; roving, wandering; also, erratic, unsettled.
Bum
A player or racer who often performs poorly.
Trade him to another team, he's a bum!
Vagrant
Moving without certain direction; wandering; erratic; unsettled.
That beauteous Emma vagrant courses took.
While leading this vagrant and miserable life, Johnson fell in love.
Bum
(colloquial) A drinking spree.
Vagrant
Wandering from place to place without any settled habitation; as, a vagrant beggar.
Bum
(dated) A humming noise.
Vagrant
One who strolls from place to place; one who has no settled habitation; an idle wanderer; a sturdy beggar; an incorrigible rogue; a vagabond.
Vagrants and outlaws shall offend thy view.
Bum
(obsolete) A bumbailiff.
Vagrant
A wanderer who has no established residence or visible means of support
Bum
To sodomize; to engage in anal sex.
Vagrant
Continually changing especially as from one abode or occupation to another;
A drifting double-dealer
The floating population
Vagrant hippies of the sixties
Bum
To ask someone to give one (something) for free; to beg for something.
Can I bum a cigarette off you?
Vagrant
A person without a settled home who wanders.
The vagrant moved from town to town, looking for odd jobs.
Bum
To stay idle and unproductive, like a hobo or vagabond.
I think I'll just bum around downtown for awhile until dinner.
Bum
To wet the end of a marijuana cigarette (spliff).
Bum
To depress; to make unhappy.
Bum
(intransitive) To make a murmuring or humming sound.
Bum
(UK) An expression of annoyance.
Bum
Of poor quality or highly undesirable.
Bum note
Bum
Unfair.
Bum deal
Bum
Injured and without the possibility of full repair, defective.
I can't play football anymore on account of my bum knee.
Bum
Unpleasant or unhappy.
He had a bum trip on that mescaline.
Bum
The buttock.
Bum
A humming noise.
Bum
To make murmuring or humming sound.
Bum
To borrow without intention of returning; to cadge; as, to bum a cigarette; to bum a cup of coffee; - usually with inexpensive items as the object.
Bum
A person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible;
Only a rotter would do that
Kill the rat
Throw the bum out
You cowardly little pukes!
The British call a contemptible person a `git'
Bum
A disreputable vagrant;
A homeless tramp
He tried to help the really down-and-out bums
Bum
Person who does no work;
A lazy bum
Bum
The fleshy part of the human body that you sit on;
He deserves a good kick in the butt
Are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?
Bum
Ask for and get free; be a parasite
Bum
Be lazy or idle;
Her son is just bumming around all day
Bum
Of very poor quality
Bum
A homeless person who is often idle.
The bum sat on the park bench all day, asking for spare change.
Bum
Someone who avoids work or responsibilities.
He was called a bum because he never held a steady job.
Bum
A person considered lazy and shiftless.
The neighborhood bums were often seen sleeping on the sidewalks.
FAQs
Do bums and vagrants both lack a permanent home?
Yes, both terms describe individuals without a fixed residence.
Can a vagrant seek work?
Yes, vagrants might seek work, although they often move frequently.
Do bums often stay in one area?
Yes, bums are typically seen staying in one place.
Is 'vagrant' a legal term?
Yes, 'vagrant' can be used in legal contexts to describe someone who is homeless and unemployed.
Do both terms imply a lack of stability?
Yes, both terms indicate a lack of stable housing and employment.
Do vagrants travel more than bums?
Yes, vagrants are characterized by their constant movement.
Can a bum change their lifestyle?
Yes, with support and opportunities, bums can change their lifestyle.
What is the main difference between a bum and a vagrant?
A bum is perceived as lazy and not seeking work, while a vagrant is a wanderer without a settled home.
Is the term 'bum' more derogatory than 'vagrant'?
Yes, 'bum' carries a stronger negative connotation implying laziness.
Are vagrants part of a specific subculture?
Vagrants may be part of various subcultures, including those who choose a nomadic lifestyle.
Are vagrants always homeless?
Generally, vagrants are homeless, but they may find temporary shelter.
Is 'bum' commonly used in modern language?
'Bum' is less common and often considered pejorative in modern usage.
Is homelessness the same for bums and vagrants?
Both experience homelessness, but their lifestyles and societal perceptions differ.
Do bums and vagrants face the same challenges?
Both face challenges like finding shelter and food, but vagrants might face additional issues related to constant movement.
What support systems exist for vagrants?
Shelters, food banks, and employment services can help vagrants.
Are vagrants always unemployed?
Not necessarily; vagrants might take on temporary or odd jobs.
Can bums reintegrate into society?
With appropriate support, bums can reintegrate into society.
Is it fair to call someone a bum?
It is often considered offensive and judgmental to label someone a bum.
Is there a positive way to describe a vagrant?
Terms like 'nomad' or 'wanderer' can have a more neutral or positive connotation.
Can vagrants receive public assistance?
Yes, vagrants can receive public assistance if they seek it.
About Author
Written by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
