bum rap
noun
informal
1
US
: an unfair claim that someone has committed a crime or done something wrong
The defendant was sent to jail on a bum rap.
2
chiefly US
: a criticism or bad opinion that is not deserved or fair
The teenagers say they've all gotten a bum rap because one person damaged some property.
She thinks motorboats get a bum rap from environmentalists.
He was given a bum rap by reviewers.
Examples of bum rap in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Then, the detective hired to vaporize the homicidal mountain lion discovers the animal is getting a bum rap — the businessman had been murdered before the mauling began.
—
Chris Hewitt,
Boston Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
In the tech industry, at least, the trajectory of Nvidia (and many other companies) suggests that’s a bum rap.
—
James Surowiecki,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2025
Many Gen Zs, feeling misunderstood and vilified, have gotten a bum rap from other generations and business leaders.
—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes,
11 Jan. 2025
Make the Freezer Your Friend Frozen food has gotten a bum rap, but all frozen food need not be equated only with TV Dinners and petrified pizza.
—
Melissa Breyer,
Treehugger,
5 June 2023
Edebiri is great in Proof, which got a bum rap from critics who wanted the show to blow them away like the original production did rather than exploring new themes that the primarily Black cast brought to the surface.
—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Chris Hewitt,
Boston Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
In the tech industry, at least, the trajectory of Nvidia (and many other companies) suggests that’s a bum rap.
—
James Surowiecki,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2025
Many Gen Zs, feeling misunderstood and vilified, have gotten a bum rap from other generations and business leaders.
—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes,
11 Jan. 2025
Make the Freezer Your Friend Frozen food has gotten a bum rap, but all frozen food need not be equated only with TV Dinners and petrified pizza.
—
Melissa Breyer,
Treehugger,
5 June 2023
Edebiri is great in Proof, which got a bum rap from critics who wanted the show to blow them away like the original production did rather than exploring new themes that the primarily Black cast brought to the surface.
—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Bum rap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bum%20rap. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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