bustling

[ buhs-ling ]
See synonyms for bustling on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. 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.

  2. 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
  1. 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.

Origin of bustling

1
First recorded in 1425–75; bustl(e)1 + -ing2 for the adjective senses; bustl(e)1 + -ing1 for the noun sense

Other words from bustling

  • bus·tling·ly, adverb
  • un·bus·tling, adjective

Words Nearby bustling

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bustling in a sentence