bustle

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈbʌsəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #25331

Meanings

1

verb
To move around quickly and busily.

Waiters bustled between the crowded tables.
2

noun
Noisy, energetic activity.

She loved the bustle of the busy market.
3

verb
To be full of busy activity or people.

The train station was bustling with commuters.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to move around quickly and... hustle scurry

2 noun · noisy, energetic activity. stir ado

3 verb · to be full of busy activity... teem brim

Word family

Forms bustledbustles

Derived forms abustlebustlerbustlesomebustlyhustle-bustleoutbustle

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

bustle about
to move around energetically while doing several tasks

Verb + adverb

Etymology

From Middle English bustlen, bustelen, bostlen, perhaps an alteration of *busklen (> Modern English buskle), a frequentative of Middle English busken (“to prepare; make ready”), from Old Norse búask (“to prepare oneself”); or alternatively from a frequentative form of Middle English busten, bisten (“to buffet; pummel; dash; beat”) + -le. Compare also Icelandic bustla (“to splash; bustle”).

bustlen Middle English busken Middle English búa Old Norse busten Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# bustle

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈbʌsəl/
**Frequency rank:** 25331

## Meanings
1. To move around quickly and busily.
2. Noisy, energetic activity.
3. To be full of busy activity or people.

## Examples
- Waiters bustled between the crowded tables.
- She loved the bustle of the busy market.
- The train station was bustling with commuters.

## Derived Forms
- abustle
- bustler
- bustlesome
- bustly
- hustle-bustle
- outbustle

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: bustlen
- Root: busken
- Root: búa
- Root: busten

## Etymology
From Middle English bustlen, bustelen, bostlen, perhaps an alteration of *busklen (> Modern English buskle), a frequentative of Middle English busken (“to prepare; make ready”), from Old Norse búask (“to prepare oneself”); or alternatively from a frequentative form of Middle English busten, bisten (“to buffet; pummel; dash; beat”) + -le. Compare also Icelandic bustla (“to splash; bustle”).

## AI Etymology
Bustle comes from Middle English bustlen, bustelen, bostlen, perhaps an alteration of *busklen (> Modern English buskle), a frequentative of Middle English busken (“to prepare; make ready”), from Old Norse búask (“to prepare oneself”); or alternatively from a frequentative form of Middle English busten, bisten (“to buffet; pummel; dash; beat”) + -le. Compare also Icelandic bustla (“to splash; bustle”).

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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