bustle
1 Americanverb (used without object)
-
to move or act with a great show of energy (often followed byabout ).
He bustled about cooking breakfast.
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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)
noun
noun
-
fullness around or below the waist of a dress, as added by a peplum, bows, ruffles, etc.
-
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.
verb
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
- bustled adjective
- bustler noun
- bustling adjective
Etymology
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
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.
SACRAMENTO—Inside an exam room at this bustling Planned Parenthood center, a clinician prepared six syringes.
The proud east Londoner first dabbled in DIY when he swapped the hustle and bustle of the capital for the peace and quiet of Ipswich, which he and his family now call home.
From BBC
The attacks are accepted as part of daily life for the city of around one million people, dotted with ornate 19th-century architecture and where luxury cars pass mobile air defence units along the bustling seaside.
From Barron's
Everyone hustled and bustled against one another, all moving in different directions.
From Literature
In the 19th and 20th centuries, it helped the city become a bustling metropolis, home to sizable European diasporas and a distinct cosmopolitan culture.
From Barron's
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.
