- present participle of bustle.
bustling
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
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
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bustling
First recorded in 1425–75; bustl(e) 1 ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; bustl(e) 1 ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun sense
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.
Banks reaped the rewards of SpaceX’s historic initial public offering, while market volatility kept trading floors bustling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Usually, it would be slightly more bustling than this, Sims assured me.
From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026
The store, with its eye-catching cat sculpture overlooking the entrance, is hard to miss on a bustling stretch of Magnolia Avenue in Burbank.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
An AFP journalist at the scene saw a large emergency services presence and officials inspecting a patch of blood in Times Square, a typically bustling hotspot for tourists.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
The Abbot came bustling up with Basil limping in the rear.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
