bustling

[buhs-ling]

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.

Other Word Forms

• bustlingly adverb
• unbustling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bustling¹

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

It was once a bustling community with Japanese boarding houses that offered affordable rent and home-cooked meals.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The quinceanera dress shops in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood are usually bustling enterprises, reflecting the buoyant mood of Latino families eyeing a brighter future.

Read more on Barron's

His people take on the pared-down faces of Léger’s own figures; abstraction creeps in and geometry becomes a major consideration; color appears in broad strokes and washes, unifying bustling scenes and roiling elements.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This last weekend, Rare Books L.A. transformed Union Station’s historic ticket hall into a bustling biblio-bazaar, drawing more than 50 antiquarian booksellers and collectors from across the country.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Soon came a post office, a store, and a little school with a bustling 4-H club that was frequently celebrated for its exploits in the local papers.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• aggressive 
• alive 
• bold 
• busy 
• determined 
• diligent 
• dynamic 
• eager 
• energetic 
• engaged 
• enthusiastic 
• forceful 
• intense 
• keen 
• lively 
• quick 
• ready 
• resolute