busily
Americanadverb
adverb
Other Word Forms
- nonbusily adverb
- overbusily adverb
- superbusily adverb
- unbusily adverb
Etymology
Origin of busily
First recorded in 1175–1225, busily is from the Middle English word bisiliche. See busy, -ly
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.
While Mr. Page’s Titus naturally dominates the play, he has a formidable foe in Ms. Faridany’s busily scheming Tamora.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
I recently took my 9-year-old through the exhibit and she had a blast busily engaging with almost every element of the space.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026
Norwegian CEO Bernt Børnich says NEO is very useful in his own home, busily hoovering and tidying up after his family, which he says is "a mix" of autonomous action and human-operated.
From BBC • Jan. 11, 2026
On Wednesday, residents of Cebu's most-affected areas were busily cleaning up streets that had been rivers less than 24 hours earlier.
From Barron's • Nov. 6, 2025
Down below, on the murky peak, the demons were busily cutting the stairway loose with axes and hammers and saws.
From "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster
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.
