rum
gb/ɹˈʌm/ us/ɹˈʌm/
B1
English
~ 8100
rum, furcsa, gyanús
NOUN
B1
1
rum
B1
Usage pattern:
a glass of [rum]
She ordered a double rum with ice at the bar.
Rendelt a bárban egy dupla rumot jéggel.
They used dark rum to make the cake taste richer.
Sötét rumot használtak, hogy gazdagabb íze legyen a süteménynek.
He mixed the rum with fresh lime and sugar to make a cocktail.
Tourists lined up to taste the local Caribbean rum at the distillery.
I only drink rum in the winter, usually in hot drinks.
Learner examples
He drank a small glass of rum.
Megivott egy kis pohár rumot.
They put some rum in the fruit cake.
Tettek egy kis rumot a gyümölcskenyérbe.
She ordered rum and cola at the bar.
This cocktail has a lot of rum in it.
I do not like the taste of rum.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes treat "rum" as always countable and say "many rums" when they mean many glasses of rum. Use "some rum" for the drink in general, and "a glass of rum" or "two rums" when talking about servings. Learners may also confuse the spelling and pronunciation with "room" or "Rome".
Meaning
strong alcoholic drink from sugarcane
Collocations
dark rum
|white rum
|spiced rum
|rum and coke
|glass of rum
|shot of rum
Synonyms
liquor (A general word for strong alcoholic drinks; less specific than "rum".)
Antonyms
soft drink (A non-alcoholic drink, the opposite of a strong alcoholic spirit like rum.)
Themes
food_and_drink
|social_life
|food_drink
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A strong alcoholic drink made from sugarcane or molasses, often used in cocktails or drunk on its own.
A strong distilled alcoholic spirit, usually made from sugarcane juice or molasses, often clear or brown and used for drinking straight or in mixed drinks.
C1
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
a rum [person/situation/story]
It was a rum business altogether, and nobody ever found out the full story.
There's something very rum about the way he suddenly left town.
"That's a rum do," he said when he heard they'd all been fired by email.
She's a rum sort, friendly but hard to read.
I always thought it rather rum that he never spoke about his past.
Learner examples
It was a rum story, and I did not believe it.
They thought it was a bit rum that she came so late and said nothing.
He is a rum old man who acts in a strange way.
Losing the key twice in one day seemed pretty rum to her.
The whole thing looked rum, so they asked more questions.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this adjective means "related to the drink rum". In this sense, it does not; it means "strange" or "suspicious" and is mainly old-fashioned British English. In modern English, it is usually better to use "odd" or "strange" instead of "rum".
Meaning
strange, surprising, or slightly suspicious
Collocations
a rum do
|a bit rum
|pretty rum
|a rum sort
|a rum old business
Synonyms
odd (Very close in meaning but more common and modern; "rum" sounds old-fashioned and mainly British.)
Antonyms
normal (Describes something usual and not strange, the opposite of a "rum" situation or person.)
Themes
describing_people
|opinions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
(Old-fashioned British) Strange or a bit suspicious, so that something does not feel normal or right.
(British, old-fashioned informal) Strange, surprising, or slightly suspicious in a way that feels unusual or not quite right.
Grammar
Dictionary form
rum
IPA
GB/ɹˈʌm/
US/ɹˈʌm/
Syllables & stress
rum (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (rum)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: rum
- Plural: rum, rums
Word family
Forms
rums
noun
Related words
rummy
adjective
Expressions
a rum do
1/ə ɹˈʌm dˈoʊ/
idiom
informal
an unpleasant or strange situation
An event or situation that feels unfair, unpleasant, or strangely surprising.
Examples
- Getting fired the day before his wedding was a rum do if ever there was one.
- "It's a rum do when the trains all stop without warning," she complained.
- The whole affair was a rum do from start to finish, and nobody trusted the official explanation.
rum and coke
1/ɹˈʌm ˈænd kˈoʊk/
fixed phrase
a drink of rum with cola
A mixed drink that is made by putting rum and cola (Coke) together, usually with ice.
Examples
- He ordered a rum and coke and found a seat by the window.
- She usually drinks wine but asked for a rum and coke at the party.
- The bar was running a special on rum and coke all night.
rum deal
1/ɹˈʌm dˈil/
idiom
informal
unfair or harsh treatment
A situation where someone is treated in a very unfair or unpleasant way.
Examples
- It was a rum deal for the workers, who lost their jobs without any warning.
- Getting the blame for something you didn’t do is a pretty rum deal.
- Fans felt it was a rum deal when ticket prices doubled overnight.