bust
1a 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.
the chest or breast, especially a woman's bosom.
Origin of bust
1Words Nearby bust
Other definitions for bust (2 of 2)
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.
Cards.
Draw Poker. to fail to make a flush or straight by one card.
Blackjack. to draw cards exceeding the count of 21.
Informal.
to burst.
to bankrupt; ruin financially.
to demote, especially in military rank or grade: He was busted from sergeant to private three times.
a sudden decline in the economic conditions of a country, marked by an extreme drop in stock-market prices, business activity, and employment; depression.
Slang.
an arrest.
a police raid.
Informal. a drinking spree; binge.
Cards.
a very weak hand.
Bridge. a hand lacking the potential to take a single trick.
Origin of bust
2word story For bust
Words that may be confused with bust
- burst, bust
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use bust in a sentence
The dotcom bust, which followed Apple’s second-ever stock split in June 2000, wrecked investors’ returns.
Investors riding high on Apple and Tesla stock splits could get clipped, data shows | rhhackettfortune | August 31, 2020 | FortuneHormones could very well be making booms and busts worse than they need be.
I don’t want to be doomsday, but it is bleak right now, so we have to think about outdoor recreation as another economic specialization that’s vulnerable to boom-and-bust and think about long-term diversification.
The Recreation Economy Isn't As Resilient As We Thought | Heather Hansman | August 29, 2020 | Outside OnlineIn the past, a bust brought calls for economic diversification.
Although the 30-minute-rule to getting engagement has been busted, it definitely helps to know your best posting time and post consistently.
How to optimize for the Instagram algorithm in 2020 | Julia Miashkova | August 19, 2020 | Search Engine Watch
Nobody ever says they want to become a cop so they can bust people for urinating in public or drinking alcohol on their stoop.
Before this latest brush with the law, the rapper was facing pot-bust and unrelated gun charges.
Rapper Bobby Shmurda Arrested at New York’s Notorious Quad Studios | M.L. Nestel | December 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBecause Wright was a no-show in criminal court to face the loud music and pot bust he already had an outstanding warrant.
And every day, we bust our asses to continue “making it,” but we most certainly have not “made it.”
People believe that the financial sector has been allowed to return to its pre-bust excesses.
The back of her head will be quite in line with her charming little bust, and I for one shall walk round and laugh in her face.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonAmong these are "Medusa," a bronze bust; and a "Mater Dolorosa," in terra-cotta.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D. | Clara Erskine ClementIt was destroyed in the fire, but has been replaced, and few could tell the present bust is not the original one.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham | Thomas T. Harman and Walter ShowellA neat little monument, with a marble bust, is erected to the memory of the founder.
A Woman's Journey Round the World | Ida PfeifferThe only sure thing about most of those schemes is the certainty of 'going bust' and losing every penny you have in the world.
The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle | Laura Lee Hope
British Dictionary definitions for bust (1 of 2)
/ (bʌst) /
the chest of a human being, esp a woman's bosom
a sculpture of the head, shoulders, and upper chest of a person
Origin of bust
1British Dictionary definitions for bust (2 of 2)
/ (bʌst) informal /
to burst or break
to make or become bankrupt
(tr) (of the police) to raid, search, or arrest: the girl was busted for drugs
(tr) US and Canadian to demote, esp in military rank
(tr) US and Canadian to break or tame (a horse, etc)
(tr) mainly US to punch; hit
bust a gut See gut (def. 9)
a raid, search, or arrest by the police
mainly US a punch; hit
US and Canadian a failure, esp a financial one; bankruptcy
a drunken party
broken
bankrupt
go bust to become bankrupt
Origin of bust
2Collins 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
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.
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