bustle
1 Americanverb (used without object)
-
bustles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
bustled,
past participle, past
-
bustling
present participle
-
to move or act with a great show of energy (often followed byabout ).
He bustled about cooking breakfast.
-
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)
-
bustles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
bustled,
past participle, past
-
bustling
present participle
noun
noun
-
fullness around or below the waist of a dress, as added by a peplum, bows, ruffles, etc.
-
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.
verb
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
bustlesimple
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bustlessimple
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have bustledperfect
-
has bustledperfect
-
am bustlingprogressive
-
are bustlingprogressive
-
is bustlingprogressive
-
have been bustlingperfect progressive
-
has been bustlingperfect progressive
Past
-
bustledsimple
-
had bustledperfect
-
was bustlingprogressive
-
were bustlingprogressive
-
had been bustlingperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
A flurry of activity and commotion is often referred to as bustle. If you want to see true bustle in action, just walk through Times Square in New York during lunch hour. If it's busy, energetic or moving about at a rapid pace, then it's bustling. Word historians think bustle might stem from an Old Norse word meaning "to prepare." However, it's probably easier to remember bustle by the synonym it's often used with — hustle, as in "the hustle and bustle of a big city."
Vocabulary lists containing bustle
"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
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The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
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Pride
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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.
See Examples For:
"The essence of Bath on the Beach is that we really wanted to take people out of the hustle and bustle of town and put them into a kind of tropical escape," says Millie.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
Most films have instead relied on resourceful camerawork, creative license and shrewd editing to bring an authentic, you-are-there quality to footage lensed mainly in and around Cannes, including iconic festival exteriors and the attendant bustle.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
The jokester revealed that he initially came across the pad when he was living in the hustle and bustle of New York City and wanted a peaceful getaway.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 16, 2026
But in the capital Porto-Novo, turnout for Sunday's vote ranged from 20 to 40 percent at some polling stations, while life in economic capital Cotonou was largely back to its usual bustle by Monday.
From Barron's ● Apr. 13, 2026
From the moment I met her in the hallway she'd been blabbing, so excited about the hustle and bustle she'd experienced earlier in the day.
From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds
On a Tuesday in December, the New Jersey warehouse bustles with workers preparing to list clothes, bags and accessories for sale.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 21, 2026
A street market in a Buenos Aires working-class neighborhood bustles with desperate Argentines who have taken to hawking their belongings to make ends meet as the economy sputters.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2025
The bustles underpin the distinctive chemise à la reine that was popularized by fashion icon Marie Antoinette, with its cloud of white ruffles around a low neckline, sashed at the waist.
From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2025
"It is about time," he says - momentarily stopping chopping fish as the kitchen behind bustles ahead of the lunchtime sittings.
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2024
Hideo’s mother exclaims something about making us a snack and bustles off, leaving her glasses on the table.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Just a few metres away, life was returning to the hospital, with patients admitted to wards while doctors and nurses bustled around the facility's maze-like corridors.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Where trading once bustled until late morning, activity now faded by 8am.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
“They want safety, and I understand that,” he said, as waiters bustled past with plates of yogurt-marinated mutton and chicken kebabs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
Inside, the staff spoke imperfect English, but all wore smiles on their faces as they bustled around the establishment, tending to their customers.
From Slate ● Mar. 12, 2026
Madam Pomfrey, who had bustled off to her office, returned holding a small bottle of some purple potion and a goblet.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
A bustling mountain town in the French Alps, Chamonix is known to attract adventurous spirits as both residents and tourists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
In bustling Mong Kok there was Luck Win, known for its generous discounts, and Greenfield, with its packed floor-to-ceiling shelves.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
There are so few cars in Cuba's capital that it is possible to cross the Malecon, the once bustling seafront promenade, without looking.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
There, I met Dan, an affable middle-aged fellow with gray tufts of hair, who was bustling around with a vacuum.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
How much her brisk, graceful bustling had enlivened his idle days!
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
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.
