: any of several card games for two or more players in which each player tries to assemble groups of three or more cards of the same rank or of consecutive sequence in the same suit and to be the first to meld them all see also gin rummy
rummier; rummiest
1
: of, involving, or containing rum
a rummy drink
… rummy lunches go on for hours under the palms.—
Town & Country
Town & CountryShe loves a good rum cake, and I got one of the rummiest.—Ivana Martini
Ivana Martini2
: affected by or as if by an excessive intake of rum
At higher altitudes, oxygen also helps boost your energy and keeps you from getting rummy.—Lou Whittaker and Andrea Gabbard
Lou Whittaker and Andrea Gabbard
rummier; rummiest
Examples of rummy in a Sentence
Noun (2)
most mornings a dazed old rummy sits on the steps with a bottle in a paper bag
Recent Examples on the Web
Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2025
Founded by Marc Farrell, a native of Trinidad & Tobago who was Starbucks’ youngest VP before leaving to follow his rummy dreams, this is a blend of sourced column-still rum from the Dominican Republic and Jamaican pot-still rum.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2025
Picture sweet potato crème brûlée inside the shell of a sweet potato: a rummy, spicy sweet potato caramel, and a topper of meringue.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023
Buy Now on Drizly: $30 Best Barbados White Rum The Real McCoy 3 Year Aged Barbados’ Foursquare distillery, helmed by Richard Seale, produces aged rums that send serious rummies into spasms of joy and frenzied hunts for limited edition bottles.
—Tony Sachs, Robb Report, 2 June 2023
The high-ester (read: funky) Jamaican rum in the blend is not as intense as some rummies may like, but what’s there makes up for what isn’t.
—Tony Sachs, Robb Report, 2 June 2023
This isn't the kind of beach for arcade games on the boardwalk or rummy drinks under a palapa, but rather natural-feeling beaches, independent bookstores and restaurants, and even a lavender farm with views of the Olympic Mountains.
—Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2023
Laurie Mandeville-Beaudette lost her 83-year-old father, James Mandeville, a Navy veteran, prankster, and relentlessly competitive card shark who favored rummy and cribbage.
—Matt Stout, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Dec. 2022
Christopher drank something fruity and rummy called Al’s Escape and lived to tell the tale.
—BostonGlobe.com, 22 July 2022
Nicole Cobler, Axios, 6 Jan. 2025
Open Play Canasta – Monday (weekly) from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. – Canasta is a card game of the rummy family of games and has received worldwide status as a classic.
—Kris Slugg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2024
The aroma is very spicy, rummy, and definitely the best smelling of the six with aromas of cinnamon stick, banana bread, and marzipan.
—Em Sauter, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
One of the most spirited drinks in the city is the rummy Patriot, whose layers of blue (from Curaçao) and yellow (pineapple juice) mirror the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 23 June 2023
Julep recently enclosed its patio, providing a warm spot to sample seasonal cocktails including Apple Butter Old-fashioneds, spiked hot chocolate, mulled wine cider and a very rummy Christmas in the Caribbean.
—Robin Soslow, Chron, 5 Jan. 2022
Like its name suggests, Mattel’s Phase 10 is a rummy-type game where players compete to complete 10 varied phases.
—Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2020
Race your partner to see who can successfully complete all 10 rounds of this rummy-style card game.
—Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2020
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Noun
Buy Now on Drizly: $30 Best Barbados White Rum
The Real McCoy 3 Year Aged
Barbados’ Foursquare distillery, helmed by Richard Seale, produces aged rums that send serious rummies into spasms of joy and frenzied hunts for limited edition bottles.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2025
Founded by Marc Farrell, a native of Trinidad & Tobago who was Starbucks’ youngest VP before leaving to follow his rummy dreams, this is a blend of sourced column-still rum from the Dominican Republic and Jamaican pot-still rum.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2025
Picture sweet potato crème brûlée inside the shell of a sweet potato: a rummy, spicy sweet potato caramel, and a topper of meringue.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023
Buy Now on Drizly: $30 Best Barbados White Rum The Real McCoy 3 Year Aged Barbados’ Foursquare distillery, helmed by Richard Seale, produces aged rums that send serious rummies into spasms of joy and frenzied hunts for limited edition bottles.
—Tony Sachs, Robb Report, 2 June 2023
The high-ester (read: funky) Jamaican rum in the blend is not as intense as some rummies may like, but what’s there makes up for what isn’t.
—Tony Sachs, Robb Report, 2 June 2023
This isn't the kind of beach for arcade games on the boardwalk or rummy drinks under a palapa, but rather natural-feeling beaches, independent bookstores and restaurants, and even a lavender farm with views of the Olympic Mountains.
—Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2023
Laurie Mandeville-Beaudette lost her 83-year-old father, James Mandeville, a Navy veteran, prankster, and relentlessly competitive card shark who favored rummy and cribbage.
—Matt Stout, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Dec. 2022
Christopher drank something fruity and rummy called Al’s Escape and lived to tell the tale.
—BostonGlobe.com, 22 July 2022
Adjective
The Giffard Aperitif Syrup mimics the bitter complexity of Campari, while molasses gives the mocktail a rich, rummy quality, according to Este's beverage director Patrick Wasetis.
—Nicole Cobler, Axios, 6 Jan. 2025
Open Play Canasta – Monday (weekly) from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. – Canasta is a card game of the rummy family of games and has received worldwide status as a classic.
—Kris Slugg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2024
The aroma is very spicy, rummy, and definitely the best smelling of the six with aromas of cinnamon stick, banana bread, and marzipan.
—Em Sauter, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
One of the most spirited drinks in the city is the rummy Patriot, whose layers of blue (from Curaçao) and yellow (pineapple juice) mirror the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 23 June 2023
Julep recently enclosed its patio, providing a warm spot to sample seasonal cocktails including Apple Butter Old-fashioneds, spiked hot chocolate, mulled wine cider and a very rummy Christmas in the Caribbean.
—Robin Soslow, Chron, 5 Jan. 2022
Like its name suggests, Mattel’s Phase 10 is a rummy-type game where players compete to complete 10 varied phases.
—Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2020
Race your partner to see who can successfully complete all 10 rounds of this rummy-style card game.
—Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2020
Cite this Entry
“Rummy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rummy. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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