Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for bum rap

bum rap

[ buhm rap ]

noun

, Slang.
  1. an unjust accusation, verdict, or punishment:

    He was sent to prison on a bum rap.

  2. an adverse opinion or judgment considered undeserved or unjust:

    The review was a bum rap, but I liked the play.



bum rap

noun

  1. a trumped-up or false charge
  2. an unjust punishment
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of bum rap1

First recorded in 1910–15; bum 1( def ) (in the sense “disappointing, unpleasant”) + rap 1( def ) (in the sense “blame, punishment, criminal charge”)
Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

A false accusation or conviction; also, unfair criticism or action. For example, He claimed he was in prison on a bum rap , or The theater critics gave her last play a bum rap . This expression originated in the 1920s as underworld slang, and by the mid-1900s it was also used figuratively for other kinds of injustice.

Advertisement

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement