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

She knew that London was a large, bustling, and confusing city, and that one wrong turn might send them wandering down dark cobblestone streets that dead-ended at smelly slaughterhouses and riverfront establishments of ill repute.

Read more on Literature

The community was vibrant and bustling with love as people walked from place to place—we didn’t do as much driving back then as people do today.

Read more on Literature

Some business owners have taken it upon themselves to clean their side of the street, trying to preserve the look of what was once a bustling corridor.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It is a busy, bustling port, much bigger than Alexandria.

Read more on Literature

The city has plenty of battle scars; some of its bustling streets are lined with ruins and rubble.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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