hustle

[ huhs-uhl ]

verb (used without object)

, hus·tled, hus·tling.

1. to proceed or work rapidly or energetically:

   The sisters hustled about, putting the house in order.

2. to push or force one's way; jostle or shove.
3. to be aggressive, especially in business or other financial dealings.
4. Slang. to earn one's living by illicit or unethical means.
5. Slang. (of a prostitute) to solicit clients.

verb (used with object)

, hus·tled, hus·tling.

1. to convey or cause to move, especially to leave, roughly or hurriedly:

   His bodyguards hustled him out of the court past policemen and paramilitary soldiers.

2. to urge, prod, or speed up:

   Hustle your work along.

3. to pressure or coerce (a person) to buy or do something:

   Our waiter hustled us into ordering more than we could eat.

4. to obtain by aggressive and often illicit means:

   He could always hustle a buck or two from some sucker.

5. to beg; solicit.
6. to sell in or work (an area), especially by high-pressure tactics:

   The souvenir vendors began hustling the town at dawn.

7. to sell, promote, or publicize in a lively, vigorous, or aggressive manner:

   to hustle souvenirs.

8. to jostle, push, or shove roughly.
9. Slang. to induce (someone) to gamble or to promote (a gambling game) when the odds of winning are overwhelmingly in one's own favor.
10. Slang. to cheat; swindle:

    They hustled him out of his savings.

11. Slang.
    1. (of a prostitute) to solicit (someone).
    2. to attempt to persuade (someone) to have sexual relations.

noun

1. energetic activity, as in work.
2. discourteous shoving, pushing, or jostling.
3. Slang.
   1. an inducing by fraud, pressure, or deception, especially of inexperienced or uninformed persons, to buy something, participate in an illicit scheme or dishonest gambling game, etc.
   2. such a product, scheme, gambling game, etc.
4. Slang. a competitive struggle:

   Why not take a break from the hustle to find a place where the tranquility of nature frees your mind to do its most innovative thinking.

5. Slang. any means of earning a living; a paid job or occupation:

   The university denied him tenure, so I guess he has to find a new hustle.

6. a fast, lively, popular ballroom dance evolving from Latin American, swing, rock, and disco dance styles, with a strong basic rhythm and simple step pattern augmented by strenuous turns, breaks, etc.

hustle

/ ˈhʌsəl /

verb

1. to shove or crowd (someone) roughly
2. to move or cause to move hurriedly or furtively

   he hustled her out of sight

3. tr to deal with or cause to proceed hurriedly

   to hustle legislation through

4. slang.
   to earn or obtain (something) forcefully
5. slang.
   (of procurers and prostitutes) to solicit

noun

1. an instance of hustling
2. undue activity
3. a disco dance of the 1970s

Derived Forms

• ˈhustler, noun

Other Words From

• out·hus·tle verb (used with object) outhustled outhustling
• un·hus·tled adjective
• un·hus·tling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hustle¹

First recorded in 1675–85; from Dutch husselen, hutselen “to shake, toss,” equivalent to hutsen “to shake” + -el- frequentative suffix; -le

Word History and Origins

Origin of hustle¹

C17: from Dutch husselen to shake, from Middle Dutch hutsen

Example Sentences

Daniels hustled for the ball and Davis jumped in front of him and got called for an illegal screen.

From Los Angeles Times

Yet the man’s ambition, ingenuity and resilience mirrors the filmmakers’ own hustle to pull off this marvel, and that also happens to be exactly what Hollywood needs right now to survive.

From Los Angeles Times

“I have to hustle just to see some of my paycheck,” says Mohammad Al-Tawashi, a 49-year-old civil servant with the Palestinian Authority.

From Los Angeles Times

Although he worked various jobs, he was always hustling to fund his surf trips and music projects.

From Los Angeles Times

But despite the training montages and the hustling to qualify for teams and competitions, William Goldenberg’s feature directing debut comes to life more often as a conventional family drama than as a conventional sports movie.

From New York Times

Related Words

• rush