bustle

¹

[ buhs-uhl ]

verb (used without object)

, bus·tled, bus·tling.

1. to move or act with a great show of energy (often followed by about ):

   He bustled about cooking breakfast.

2. to abound or teem with something; display an abundance of something (often followed by with ):

   The office bustled with people and activity.

verb (used with object)

, bus·tled, bus·tling.

1. to cause to bustle; hustle.

noun

1. thriving or energetic activity; stir; ferment.

   Synonyms: fuss, agitation, flurry, ado, teem, overflow, brim

bustle

²

[ buhs-uhl ]

noun

1. fullness around or below the waist of a dress, as added by a peplum, bows, ruffles, etc.
2. a pad, cushion, or framework formerly worn under the back of a woman's skirt to expand, support, and display the full cut and drape of a dress.

bustle

¹

/ ˈbʌsəl /

verb

1. whenintr, often foll by about to hurry or cause to hurry with a great show of energy or activity

noun

1. energetic and noisy activity

bustle

²

/ ˈbʌsəl /

noun

1. a cushion or a metal or whalebone framework worn by women in the late 19th century at the back below the waist in order to expand the skirt

Derived Forms

• ˈbustler, noun
• ˈbustling, adjective

Other Words From

• bus·tler noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bustle¹

First recorded in 1615–25; Middle English bustelen “to hurry aimlessly along,” perhaps akin to Old Norse busla “to splash about, bustle”

Origin of bustle²

First recorded in 1780–90; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of bustle¹

C16: probably from obsolete buskle to make energetic preparation, from dialect busk from Old Norse būask to prepare

Origin of bustle²

C18: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

Opening with a quotation from Henry David Thoreau’s 1863 essay “Life Without Principle” including the lines “Let us consider the way in which we spend our lives / This world is a place of business / What an infinite bustle,” the film “La Cocina” sets out to fully examine those concepts, and how work can take over one’s life and sweep away all too many other concerns.

From Los Angeles Times

Raymond Torres moved away from the “hustle and bustle” of the San Diego area more than 20 years ago and eventually built two homes on a quiet street in Mead Valley.

From Los Angeles Times

What we received were notes from nature lovers that waxed poetic of wildflowers and wildlife, and expressed a longing to escape the bustle of the city.

From Los Angeles Times

Inside, the hustle and bustle you might expect in a school corridor has been replaced with the organised chaos of a film set.

From BBC

I love the colors, the smells and the bustle.

From Salon

Related Words

• commotion
• hubbub
• tumult