Synonyms

bustling

American

[buhs-ling] / ˈbʌs lɪŋ /

adjective

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.
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

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

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

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.

Bustling Ellensburg offers the most options, an easy 50 minutes east of Snoqualmie’s outdoor play areas on I-90.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 22, 2023

Bustling shops and cafes flank the cobblestone main street, but the architecture steals the show.

From Washington Post • Jun. 24, 2022

Bustling in nonpandemic times, one four-story Jones Farm building now has room after room of empty cubicles, as software and hardware engineers work from home.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 29, 2021

Bustling forward Antonio was back on the goalscoring trail following a spell out with injury and took his season tally to five in January.

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2021

Bustling crowds confuse Valois when he rides through San Francisco next day.

From The Little Lady of Lagunitas A Franco-Californian Romance by Savage, Richard

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