bustle

¹ American  

[buhs-uhl] / ˈbʌs əl /

verb (used without object)

bustled, bustling

1. to move or act with a great show of energy (often followed byabout ).

   He bustled about cooking breakfast.

2. to abound or teem with something; display an abundance of something (often followed bywith ).

   The office bustled with people and activity.

---

verb (used with object)

bustled, bustling

1. to cause to bustle; hustle.

noun

1. thriving or energetic activity; stir; ferment.

   Synonyms:

   fuss, agitation, flurry, ado, teem, overflow, brim

bustle ² American  

[buhs-uhl] / ˈbʌs əl /

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.

---

bustle ¹ British  

/ ˈbʌsəl /

verb

1. to hurry or cause to hurry with a great show of energy or activity

---

noun

1. energetic and noisy activity

bustle ² British  

/ 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

---

Other Word Forms

• bustled adjective
• bustler noun
• bustling adjective

Etymology

Origin of bustle¹

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

Origin of bustle²

First recorded in 1780–90; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

The attacks are accepted as part of daily life for the city of around one million people, dotted with ornate 19th-century architecture and where luxury cars pass mobile air defence units along the bustling seaside.

From Barron's

Everyone hustled and bustled against one another, all moving in different directions.

From Literature

In the 19th and 20th centuries, it helped the city become a bustling metropolis, home to sizable European diasporas and a distinct cosmopolitan culture.

From Barron's

“He was very hyped up and agitated,” said Chamberlain, a Newport Beach resident who spends half the year in the bustling coastal town in the Mexican state of Jalisco.

From Los Angeles Times

By age 13, Colón had started a band and played at some weddings and in the bustling nightclubs of New York City.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• commotion
• hubbub
• tumult