bustling

American

[buhs-ling] / ˈbʌs lɪŋ /

adjective

moving or acting with a great show of energy.

I watched her preparing lunch in the kitchen—a compact, bustling woman of around forty with her hair in a tight bun.
abounding or teeming with people or activities that create an atmosphere of energy.

This midwestern city is a bustling hub for business, education, recreation, and government.

noun

the act or habit of moving or doing something with a great show of energy.

They were getting ready to leave again—it always happened in the middle of the night, with much bustling and scurrying about.

Other Word Forms

bustlingly adverb
unbustling adjective

Etymology

Origin of bustling

First recorded in 1425–75; bustl(e) ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; bustl(e) ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun sense

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“An Awfully Big Adventure” follows 16-year-old Stella Bradshaw into the dim hallways and bustling dressing rooms of a popular playhouse in 1950s Liverpool, England.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Myanmar's ageing railway stations are bustling with life, crowded with passengers as surging fuel prices due to the Mideast war drive commuters to choose trains over costly planes and cars.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Markets, shopping centres and streets across Iran are usually bustling with large crowds of shoppers in the final days before Nowruz.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Their history traces back to the late 19th century, when Philadelphia was a bustling port city receiving shipments of goods from around the world, including sugar.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

The Abbot came bustling up with Basil limping in the rear.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023