busy

[biz-ee]

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adjective, bus·i·er, bus·i·est.

actively and attentively engaged in work or a pastime: busy with her work.

not at leisure; otherwise engaged: He couldn't see any visitors because he was busy.

full of or characterized by activity: a busy life.

(of a telephone line) in use by a party or parties and not immediately accessible.

officious; meddlesome; prying.

ornate, disparate, or clashing in design or colors; cluttered with small, unharmonious details; fussy: The rug is too busy for this room.

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.

Nearby words

Origin of busy

before 1000; Middle English busi, bisi, Old English bysig, bisig; cognate with Middle Low German, Middle Dutch besich, Dutch bezig

SYNONYMS FOR busy

1. assiduous, hard-working. 2. occupied, employed, working.

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ANTONYMS FOR busy

1. indolent. 2. unoccupied.

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Related forms

non·bus·y, adjectiveo·ver·bus·y, adjectivesu·per·bus·y, adjectiveun·bus·y, adjective

well-bus·ied, adjective

Synonym study

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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for busy

Bush busy engaging constituents on both sides of the same-sex marriage debate ahead of the 2004 presidential election.
Jeb Bush’s Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
At some point during his busy schedule, Israel found the time to write a book, titled The Global War on Morris.
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
If the world is going to end, why are evangelicals so busy trying to save it?
The Evangelical Apocalypse Is All Your Fault|Jay Michaelson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He said it was okay, that he had been busy too… busy fighting serious intestinal problems.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

I finally called Lee a couple of times and we talked but he was busy with guests at the house.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Lizzie, indeed, is fond of work; she is busy all day long, and it is evident that her sewing-machine is not allowed to rust.
London's Heart|B. L. (Benjamin Leopold) Farjeon
Maybe we'll have to relay him some instrument checks, to keep him busy.
Suzy|Watson Parker
I know how busy you are, and I ought not to have asked you to come.
Theft|Jack London
Narrow at the end of the busy needle each time until but 26 stitches are left on the busy needle.
Handbook of Wool Knitting and Crochet|Anonymous
"Then it's probably fortunate that I'm not busy at all," he said.
Thrice Armed|Harold Bindloss

British Dictionary definitions for busy

busy

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 Formsbusyness, noun

Word 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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for busy

busy

adj.

Old English bisig "careful, anxious," later "continually employed or occupied," cognate with Old Dutch bezich, Low German besig; no known connection with any other Germanic or Indo-European language. Still pronounced as in Middle English, but for some unclear reason the spelling shifted to -u- in 15c.

The notion of "anxiousness" has drained from the word since Middle English. Often in a bad sense in early Modern English, "prying, meddlesome" (preserved in busybody). The word was a euphemism for "sexually active" in 17c. Of telephone lines, 1893. Of display work, "excessively detailed, visually cluttered," 1903.

busy

late Old English bisgian, from busy (adj.). Related: Busied; busying.

Idioms and Phrases with busy

busy

In addition to the idioms beginning with busy

busy as a beaver
busy work

also see:

get busy

busy

adjective, bus·i·er, bus·i·est.

verb (used with object), bus·ied, bus·y·ing.

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Nearby words

Origin of busy

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for busy

busy

adjective busier or busiest

verb busies, busying or busied

Word Origin for busy

busy

busy

busy