bustle

¹

[buhs-uhl]

verb (used without object)

bustled, bustling 

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

   He bustled about cooking breakfast.

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

   The office bustled with people and activity.

verb (used with object)

bustled, bustling 

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. 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

Other Word Forms

• bustler noun
• bustled adjective
• bustling adjective

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

The floor of the hall, which is covered with new artificial turf, bustles with soldiers and civilian staff weaving through black panels as a loudspeaker reminds them to not smoke inside.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Deep within your gut lives a bustling world of microbes, each playing a role in digesting your food.

Read more on Science Daily

US military strikes that Washington claims have targeted "narco-terrorists" ferrying drugs to American soil are having little to no impact on Latin America's bustling narcotics trade, experts say.

Read more on Barron's

A street market in a Buenos Aires working-class neighborhood bustles with desperate Argentines who have taken to hawking their belongings to make ends meet as the economy sputters.

Read more on Barron's

It depicts the bustling scene in and around Portus, Imperial Rome’s primary port.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• commotion 
• hubbub 
• tumult