bust

1
[ buhst ]
See synonyms for: bustbustedbusterbustest on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a sculptured, painted, drawn, or engraved representation of the upper part of the human figure, especially a portrait sculpture showing only the head and shoulders of the subject.

  2. the chest or breast, especially a woman's bosom.

Origin of bust

1
First recorded in 1640–50; from French buste, from Italian busto, probably from Latin bustum “funeral pyre, ashes, grave mound, tomb,” presumably by association with the busts erected over graves

Words Nearby bust

Other definitions for bust (2 of 2)

bust2
[ buhst ]

verb (used without object)
  1. Informal.

    • to burst.

    • to go bankrupt.

    • to collapse from the strain of making a supreme effort: She was determined to make straight A's or bust.

  2. Cards.

    • Draw Poker. to fail to make a flush or straight by one card.

    • Blackjack. to draw cards exceeding the count of 21.

verb (used with object)
  1. Informal.

    • to burst.

    • to bankrupt; ruin financially.

  2. to demote, especially in military rank or grade: He was busted from sergeant to private three times.

  1. to tame; break: to bust a bronco.

  2. Slang.

    • to place under arrest: The gang was busted and put away on narcotics charges.

    • to subject to a police raid: The bar has been busted three times for selling drinks to minors.

  3. Informal.

    • to hit.

    • to break; fracture: She fell and busted her arm.

noun
  1. a failure.

  2. Informal. a hit; sock; punch: He got a bust in the nose before he could put up his hands.

  1. a sudden decline in the economic conditions of a country, marked by an extreme drop in stock-market prices, business activity, and employment; depression.

  2. Slang.

    • an arrest.

    • a police raid.

  3. Informal. a drinking spree; binge.

  4. Cards.

    • a very weak hand.

    • Bridge. a hand lacking the potential to take a single trick.

adjective
  1. Informal. bankrupt; broke.

Verb Phrases
  1. bust up, Informal.

    • to break up; separate: Sam and his wife busted up a year ago.

    • to damage or destroy: Soldiers got in a fight and busted up the bar.

Origin of bust

2
First recorded in 1755–65; variant of burst, by loss of r before s, as in ass2, bass2, passel, etc.

word story For bust

Historically bust is derived from a dialect pronunciation of burst and is related to it much as cuss is related to curse. Bust is both a noun and a verb and has a wide range of meanings for both uses. Many are slang or informal. A few, as “a decline in economic conditions, depression,” are standard.

Words that may be confused with bust

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bust in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bust (1 of 2)

bust1

/ (bʌst) /


noun
  1. the chest of a human being, esp a woman's bosom

  2. a sculpture of the head, shoulders, and upper chest of a person

Origin of bust

1
C17: from French buste, from Italian busto a sculpture, of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for bust (2 of 2)

bust2

/ (bʌst) informal /


verbbusts, busting, busted or bust
  1. to burst or break

  2. to make or become bankrupt

  1. (tr) (of the police) to raid, search, or arrest: the girl was busted for drugs

  2. (tr) US and Canadian to demote, esp in military rank

  3. (tr) US and Canadian to break or tame (a horse, etc)

  4. (tr) mainly US to punch; hit

  5. bust a gut See gut (def. 9)

noun
  1. a raid, search, or arrest by the police

  2. mainly US a punch; hit

  1. US and Canadian a failure, esp a financial one; bankruptcy

  2. a drunken party

adjective
  1. broken

  2. bankrupt

  1. go bust to become bankrupt

Origin of bust

2
C19: from a dialect pronunciation of burst

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with bust

bust

In addition to the idioms beginning with bust

  • bust a gut
  • bust one's ass

also see:

  • break (bust) one's ass
  • go broke (bust)

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.