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

In Charlottenburg Palace in the west of the German capital, the market is bustling and filled with people of all ages when we visit on a Tuesday night.

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Small businesses in the area — which includes the historically vibrant, bustling open-air shopping corridor Santee Alley known for bargain prices — are looking for ways to recoup some of their losses through holiday sales.

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The bustling population of the refugee camp that gave Jenin its reputation as the martyrs’ capital?

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Hotels were full, restaurants bustling, and fishermen could barely keep up with demand.

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His Croydon store, with a colourful Christmas aisle, is bustling on a weekend visit with queues for the tills as shoppers stock up on mouthwash, washing up liquid, sweets and batteries.

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Related Words

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