A hobo is usually a person who travels from place to place looking for temporarylasting for a short time, not permanent or long-term work. In older usage, it can also mean a homeless vagranta person without a home who moves from place to place, though that sense is less neutral and can sound offensivelikely to upset or insult people or outdated.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈhoʊboʊ/
Easy pronunciation: HOH-boh (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the first syllable.
Use this for the noun meaning a traveling temporary worker, not the vagrant sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Hobo Meaning
someone who travels from job to job for temporary work
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a worker who moves around and works temporarily in different places
Example: During the harvest season, hobos often moved from town to town looking for work.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- migrant worker — Works well for the traveling temporary-worker sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Hobo
Meaning 2
a homeless person who wanders without a settled home
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a vagrant
Example: The novel describes him as a hobo drifting through the city.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- bum — Can overlap in informal speech, but is more judgmental and less precise.
- tramp — Can fit the older wandering-person sense, though it is dated and can also mean something else in modern English.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Hobo Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- migrant worker
vagrant / homeless wanderer
- bum
- tramp
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using hobo to mean any homeless person without noting that the word is old-fashioned and sometimes insulting.
- Confusing hobo with tramp, which can also mean a long walk or a loose shoe strap in modern English.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does hobo mean?
Hobo usually means a person who travels from place to place doing temporary work. It can also mean a vagrant or homeless wanderer, especially in older usage.
Is hobo the same as bum?
Not exactly. They overlap in the sense of a homeless wanderer, but bum is more informal and often more insulting.
What is a good synonym for hobo?
For the temporary-worker sense, migrant worker is the best synonym. For the older wandering-person sense, tramp can sometimes fit, though it is dated.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.