bustling

American

[buhs-ling] / ˈbʌs lɪŋ /

adjective

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

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

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.

But the operations that month turned the bustling shopping district into a ghost town.

From Los Angeles Times

She sucked on her candy and eyed me for a moment or two as we reached the bustling second-floor landing.

From Literature

Her gaggle of friends comes bustling over and shuffles in behind her.

From Literature

The motel was a magnet for rock-and-rollers and folk artists seeking affordable housing close to the bustling Hollywood music scene.

From Los Angeles Times

Lagos, Nigeria's bustling economic capital, throngs with visitors from across the country and diaspora each December.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023