bustle

1
[ buhs-uhl ]
See synonyms for: bustlebustling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),bus·tled, bus·tling.
  1. to move or act with a great show of energy (often followed by about): He bustled about cooking breakfast.

  2. to abound or teem with something; display an abundance of something (often followed by with): The office bustled with people and activity.

verb (used with object),bus·tled, bus·tling.
  1. to cause to bustle; hustle.

noun
  1. thriving or energetic activity; stir; ferment.

Origin of bustle

1
First recorded in 1615–25; Middle English bustelen “to hurry aimlessly along,” perhaps akin to Old Norse busla “to splash about, bustle”

Other words for bustle

Other words from bustle

  • bus·tler, noun

Words Nearby bustle

Other definitions for bustle (2 of 2)

bustle2
[ 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.

Origin of bustle

2
First recorded in 1780–90; origin uncertain

Other words from bustle

  • bustled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bustle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bustle (1 of 2)

bustle1

/ (ˈbʌsəl) /


verb
  1. (when intr , often foll by about) to hurry or cause to hurry with a great show of energy or activity

noun
  1. energetic and noisy activity

Origin of bustle

1
C16: probably from obsolete buskle to make energetic preparation, from dialect busk from Old Norse būask to prepare

Derived forms of bustle

  • bustler, noun
  • bustling, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for bustle (2 of 2)

bustle2

/ (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

Origin of bustle

2
C18: of unknown origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012