Dictionary.com

busy

[ biz-ee ]
/ ˈbɪz i /
See synonyms for: busy / busied / busier / busiest on Thesaurus.com

adjective, bus·i·er, bus·i·est.

verb (used with object), bus·ied, bus·y·ing.

to keep occupied; make or keep busy: In summer, he busied himself keeping the lawn in order.

SYNONYMS FOR busy

1 assiduous, hard- working.
2 occupied, employed, working.
See synonyms for busy on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of busy

before 1000; Middle English busi, bisi,Old English bysig, bisig; cognate with Middle Low German, Middle Dutch besich,Dutch bezig

synonym study for busy

1. Busy, diligent, industrious imply active or earnest effort to accomplish something, or a habitual attitude of such earnestness. Busy means actively employed, temporarily or habitually: a busy official. Diligent suggests earnest and constant effort or application, and usually connotes fondness for, or enjoyment of, what one is doing: a diligent student. Industrious often implies a habitual characteristic of steady and zealous application, often with a definite goal: an industrious clerk working for promotion.

OTHER WORDS FROM busy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to busy

active, unavailable, working, full, lively, hectic, restless, bustling, curious, occupied, engaged, engrossed, persevering, buried, employed, hustling, swamped, overloaded, snowed, slaving

Example sentences from the Web for busy

British Dictionary definitions for busy

busy
/ (ˈbɪzɪ) /

adjective busier or busiest

actively or fully engaged; occupied
crowded with or characterized by activitya busy day
mainly US and Canadian (of a room, telephone line, etc) in use; engaged
overcrowded with detaila busy painting
meddlesome; inquisitive; prying

verb busies, busying or busied

(tr) to make or keep (someone, esp oneself) busy; occupy

Derived forms of busy

busyness, noun

Word Origin for busy

Old English bisig; related to Middle Dutch besich, perhaps to Latin festīnāre to hurry
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

Idioms and Phrases with busy

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