bustling

American  

[buhs-ling] / ˈbʌs lɪŋ /

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.

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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

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

Meeting up with friends, rubbing fabric between their fingers and the overall vibe of wandering through a bustling shopping center are experiences they can’t get online.

From The Wall Street Journal

The tap of ice on the window was the only sound for a whole seven seconds before Grandma came bustling into my room.

From Literature

So it wasn't long before he found himself back in the kitchen, cooking up a storm across London with his sold-out supper clubs, bustling pop-up cafes, and crowded lunchtime falafel bars.

From Barron's

SACRAMENTO—Inside an exam room at this bustling Planned Parenthood center, a clinician prepared six syringes.

From The Wall Street Journal

The attacks are accepted as part of daily life for the city of around one million people, dotted with ornate 19th-century architecture and where luxury cars pass mobile air defence units along the bustling seaside.

From Barron's

Related Words

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