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Synonyms

bustling

American  
[buhs-ling] / ˈbʌs lɪŋ /

adjective

  1. 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.

  2. 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

  1. 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

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

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