busy
[ biz-ee ]
/ ˈbɪz i /
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adjective, bus·i·er, bus·i·est.
verb (used with object), bus·ied, bus·y·ing.
to keep occupied; make or keep busy: In summer, he busied himself keeping the lawn in order.
SYNONYMS FOR busy
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!
Set some time apart to test your bracket symbol knowledge, and see if you can keep your parentheses, squares, curlies, and angles all straight!
Question 1 of 7
Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT Origin of busy
before 1000; Middle English busi, bisi,Old English bysig, bisig; cognate with Middle Low German, Middle Dutch besich,Dutch bezig
synonym study for busy
1. Busy, diligent, industrious imply active or earnest effort to accomplish something, or a habitual attitude of such earnestness. Busy means actively employed, temporarily or habitually: a busy official. Diligent suggests earnest and constant effort or application, and usually connotes fondness for, or enjoyment of, what one is doing: a diligent student. Industrious often implies a habitual characteristic of steady and zealous application, often with a definite goal: an industrious clerk working for promotion.
OTHER WORDS FROM busy
Words nearby busy
bust-up, busty, busulfan, busuuti, busway, busy, busy as a beaver, busybody, busy Lizzie, busyness, busy signal
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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British Dictionary definitions for busy
busy
/ (ˈbɪzɪ) /
adjective busier or busiest
actively or fully engaged; occupied
crowded with or characterized by activitya busy day
mainly US and Canadian (of a room, telephone line, etc) in use; engaged
overcrowded with detaila busy painting
meddlesome; inquisitive; prying
verb busies, busying or busied
(tr) to make or keep (someone, esp oneself) busy; occupy
Derived forms of busy
busyness, nounWord Origin for busy
Old English bisig; related to Middle Dutch besich, perhaps to Latin festīnāre to hurry
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Idioms and Phrases with busy
busy
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.