Bust — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adjective /ˈbəst/

Meaning & Definition of Bust

Bust (noun)

  1. a sculptured representation of the upper part of the human figure including the head and neck and usually part of the shoulders and breast
  2. the upper part of the human torso between neck and waist; especially, the breasts of a woman
  3. spree
  4. a hearty drinking session
  5. a complete failure, flop

Bust (verb)

  1. to break or smash especially with force; also, to make inoperative
  2. to bring an end to, break up —often used with up
  3. to ruin financially

Bust (adjective)

  1. bankrupt, broke

Bust (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument

    "delivered a bust to the boxer's chops"

    similar: bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, biff, blow, bop, box, buffet, chop, clap, clip, clout, crack, cuff, dab, douse (British), fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, knock, larrup (dialect), lash, lick, pelt, pick, plump, poke, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slug, smack, smash, sock, spank, stinger, stripe, stroke, swat, swipe, switch, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, welt, whack, wham, whop
    related: counter, counterblow, counterpunch, counterstroke, body blow, hand, kick, knee, left, one-two, rabbit punch, right, right-hander, roundhouse, shiver, sidewinder, sucker punch, swing, uppercut, cruncher, kayo, knockdown, knockout, KO, bastinado, battering, beating, bludgeoning, clobbering, cudgeling, drubbing, hammering, lambasting, licking, pasting, pounding, pummeling, thrashing, flogging, walloping, whip, whipping

  2. something that has failed

    "the first movie was a hit, but the sequel was an unexpected bust"

    similar: bomb, bummer, catastrophe, clinker, clunker, debacle, disaster, dud, failure, fiasco, fizzle, flop, frost, lemon, loser, miss, shipwreck, turkey, washout
    related: also-ran, disappointment, dog, has-been, near miss, botch, hash, mess, muddle, shambles, nonevent, nonstarter
    opposite: blockbuster, hit, smash, success, winner
    near: corker, crackerjack, dandy, jim-dandy, phenomenon

  3. the act of taking or holding under one's control by authority of law

    "those lowlifes were nabbed for drug dealing in a massive bust last month"

    similar: apprehension, arrest, arrestment, collar, pinch
    related: raid, house arrest, capture, entrapment, seizure, captivity, confinement, detention, enchainment, hold, immurement, imprisonment, incarceration, restraint, rearrest, remand
    opposite: discharge
    near: emancipation, liberation, release

  4. a bout of prolonged or excessive drinking

    "a bunch of underage kids having a beer bust while the parents were away for the weekend"

    similar: bender, binge, carousal, carouse, drunk, jamboree, spree, toot, wassail
    related: blowout, kegger, bacchanalia, orgy, revel, revelry, bibbery, bibulousness, drunkenness, inebriation, inebriety, intoxication, jag, tipsiness

Bust (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to bring to a lower grade or rank

    "the commander threatened to bust her for failing to salute"

    similar: break, degrade, demote, disrate, downgrade, reduce
    related: can, cashier, dismiss, downsize, fire, lay off, sack, abase, debase, demean, humble, humiliate, lower
    opposite: advance, elevate, promote, raise
    near: hire

  2. to cause to lose one's fortune and become unable to pay one's debts

    "gambling is a dangerous habit that has busted many unfortunate souls"

    similar: bankrupt, break, ruin
    related: beggar, impoverish, pauperize, reduce, straiten, clean (out), wipe out
    near: enrich, richen

  3. to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly

    "the butterfingered husband had busted more plates than he cared to remember"

    similar: break, break up, disintegrate, dismember, disrupt, fracture, fragment, rive
    related: atomize, crush, grind, powder, pulverize, reduce, blast, blow up, burst, detonate, explode, crack, pop, shatter, shiver, smash, chip, sliver, splinter, split, implode, destroy, ruin, wreck
    near: doctor, fix, heal, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair

  4. to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner

    "busted the storekeeper on the nose and was promptly arrested for it"

    similar: bang, bash, bat, belt, biff, bludgeon, bob, bonk, bop, box, clap, clip, clobber, clock, clout, crack, hammer, hit, knock, nail, paste, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, strike, swat, swipe, tag, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale, zap, hang one on
    related: batter, beat, buffet, bung, chop, cuff, drub, lace, lambaste, lick, mangle, maul, pelt, pepper, pommel, pummel, rough, scuff, bunt, flick, stroke, tap, bump, butt, jab, jostle, kick, knee, poke, prod, push, shove, stamp, bowl (down or over), cream, deck, dump (slang), fell, floor, knock down, level, rabbit-punch, sucker punch, cane, club, cudgel, flail, flog, lash, sap, slash, sledge, sledgehammer, spear, stab, switch, thrash, whip, bean, brain, conk, skull

  5. to take or keep under one's control by authority of law

    "the cops busted the revelers for drinking in public"

    similar: apprehend, arrest, collar, nab, nail, nick (British slang), pick up, pinch, pull in, restrain, run in, seize
    related: bag, capture, catch, get, grab, grapple, hook, land, snap (up), snare, snatch, trap, commit, confine, detain, hold, immure, imprison, incarcerate, intern, jail, jug, lock (up), bind, enchain, fetter, handcuff, manacle, shackle, trammel, rearrest, remand
    opposite: discharge
    near: emancipate, free, liberate, loose, loosen, release, spring, unbind, unchain

  6. to use up all the physical energy of

    "I had to bust my butt in order to get the project done on time"

    similar: break, burn out, do in, do up, drain, exhaust, fag, fatigue, frazzle, harass, kill, knock out, outwear, tire, tucker (out), wash out, wear, wear out, weary, wear to a frazzle
    related: debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, sap, waste, weaken
    near: activate, energize, invigorate, rejuvenate, strengthen, vitalize, relax, rest, unwind

Bust (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in bankrupt, insolvent

    similar: bankrupt, bankrupted, insolvent, beggared, beggarly, broke, destitute, dirt-poor, down-and-out, famished, hard up, impecunious, impoverished, indigent, necessitous, needful, needy, pauperized, penniless, penurious, poor, poverty-stricken, skint (chiefly British), threadbare, deprived, disadvantaged, dispossessed, unaffluent, underprivileged, possessionless, ruined, depressed, distressed, hand-to-mouth, hardscrabble, pinched, poorish, reduced, straitened, cash-strapped, low, short, tapped out
    opposite: comfortable, prosperous, affluent, deep-pocketed, fat, fat-cat, flush, moneyed, opulent, rich, silk-stocking, wealthy, well-heeled, well-off, well-to-do

Related Entry: Busted (verb)

Busted is a different word from Bust. The synonyms below are for busted, not for bust.

  1. to bring to a lower grade or rank

    "the commander threatened to bust her for failing to salute"

    similar: broke, degraded, demoted, disrated, downgraded, reduced
    related: canned, cashiered, dismissed, downsized, fired, laid off, sacked, abased, debased, demeaned, humbled, humiliated, lowered
    opposite: advanced, elevated, promoted, raised
    near: hired

  2. to cause to lose one's fortune and become unable to pay one's debts

    "gambling is a dangerous habit that has busted many unfortunate souls"

    similar: bankrupted, broke, ruined
    related: beggared, impoverished, pauperized, reduced, straitened, cleaned (out), wiped out
    near: enriched, richened

  3. to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly

    "the butterfingered husband had busted more plates than he cared to remember"

    similar: broke, broke up, disintegrated, dismembered, disrupted, fractured, fragmented, rived
    related: atomized, crushed, ground, powdered, pulverized, reduced, blasted, blew up, burst, detonated, exploded, cracked, popped, shattered, shivered, smashed, chipped, slivered, splintered, split, imploded, destroyed, ruined, wrecked
    near: doctored, fixed, healed, mended, patched, rebuilt, reconditioned, reconstructed, renovated, repaired

  4. to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner

    "busted the storekeeper on the nose and was promptly arrested for it"

    similar: banged, bashed, batted, belted, biffed, bludgeoned, bobbed, bonked, bopped, boxed, clapped, clipped, clobbered, clocked, clouted, cracked, hammered, hit, knocked, nailed, pasted, pounded, punched, rapped, slammed, slapped, slogged, slugged, smacked, smote, socked, struck, swatted, swiped, tagged, thumped, thwacked, walloped, whacked, whaled, zapped, hung one on
    related: battered, beat, buffeted, bunged, chopped, cuffed, drubbed, laced, lambasted, licked, mangled, mauled, pelted, peppered, pommeled, pummeled, roughed, scuffed, bunted, flicked, stroked, tapped, bumped, butted, jabbed, jostled, kicked, kneed, poked, prodded, pushed, shoved, stamped, bowled (down or over), creamed, decked, dumped (slang), felled, floored, knocked down, leveled, rabbit-punched, sucker punched, caned, clubbed, cudgeled, flailed, flogged, lashed, sapped, slashed, sledged, sledgehammered, speared, stabbed, switched, thrashed, whipped, beaned, brained, conked, skulled

  5. to take or keep under one's control by authority of law

    "the cops busted the revelers for drinking in public"

    similar: apprehended, arrested, collared, nabbed, nailed, nicked (British slang), picked up, pinched, pulled in, ran in, restrained, seized
    related: bagged, captured, caught, got, grabbed, grappled, hooked, landed, snapped (up), snared, snatched, trapped, committed, confined, detained, held, immured, imprisoned, incarcerated, interned, jailed, jugged, locked (up), bound, enchained, fettered, handcuffed, manacled, shackled, trammeled, rearrested, remanded
    opposite: discharged
    near: emancipated, freed, liberated, loosed, loosened, released, sprang, unbound, unchained

  6. to use up all the physical energy of

    "I had to bust my butt in order to get the project done on time"

    similar: broke, burned out, did in, did up, drained, exhausted, fagged, fatigued, frazzled, harassed, killed, knocked out, outwore, tired, tuckered (out), washed out, wearied, wore, wore out, wore to a frazzle
    related: debilitated, enervated, enfeebled, sapped, wasted, weakened
    near: activated, energized, invigorated, rejuvenated, strengthened, vitalized, relaxed, rested, unwound

Related Entry: Busted (adjective)

Busted is a different word from Bust. The synonyms below are for busted, not for bust.

  1. forcibly separated into many pieces

    "a busted headlight"

    similar: broken, fractured, fragmented, shattered, smashed
    related: blasted, detonated, exploded, cracked, slivered, splintered, split, collapsed, imploded, demolished, destroyed, devastated, pulverized, ruinate, ruined, wrecked, damaged, defaced, disintegrated, dynamited, mangled, mutilated, eradicated, exterminated, extirpated, obliterated, wiped out, breakable, brittle, delicate, fragile, frail, frangible
    opposite: unbroken
    near: fixed, healed, mended, patched, rebuilt, reconstructed, repaired, infrangible, unbreakable

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bust

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bust:

British: douse
Dialect: larrup
British slang: nick
Chiefly British: skint
bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, biff, blow, bop, box, buffet, chop, clap, clip, clout, crack, cuff, dab, fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, knock, lash, lick, pelt, pick, plump, poke, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slug, smack, smash, sock, spank, stinger

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bust

Words with the opposite meaning of Bust:

blockbuster, hit, smash, success, winner, discharge, advance, elevate, promote, raise, comfortable, prosperous, affluent, deep-pocketed, fat, fat-cat, flush, moneyed, opulent, rich, silk-stocking, wealthy, well-heeled, well-off, well-to-do

Related Words for Bust

counter, counterblow, counterpunch, counterstroke, body blow, hand, kick, knee, left, one-two, rabbit punch, right, right-hander, roundhouse, shiver, sidewinder, sucker punch, swing, uppercut, cruncher, kayo, knockdown, knockout, KO, bastinado, battering, beating, bludgeoning, clobbering, cudgeling

Near Antonyms of Bust

corker, crackerjack, dandy, jim-dandy, phenomenon, emancipation, liberation, release, hire, enrich, richen, doctor, fix, heal, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair, emancipate, free, liberate, loose, loosen, spring, unbind, unchain, activate

Word Forms of Bust

Inflections: busted, busting

Origin & Etymology of Bust

borrowed from French & Italian; French buste "part of the torso above the waist," going back to Middle French, borrowed from Italian busto "tree trunk" (15th-century Upper Italian), "part of the torso above the waist, corset, sculpture or painting representing the head and upper body," going back to Vulgar Latin *būstis "trunk," perhaps alteration of Latin fūstis "stick, rod, cudgel" by crossing with a Celtic word of like meaning

First known use: 1645

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Bust

Words & Phrases Containing Bust

bust a/one's gut, bust out, bust someone's chops, bust up, bust-up, baby bust

Frequently Asked Questions about Bust

What does "Bust" mean?

"Bust" means a sculptured representation of the upper part of the human figure including the head and neck and usually part of the shoulders and breast. As an a noun, a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: a sculptured representation of the upper part of the human figure including the head and neck and usually part of the shoulders and breast. It has 11 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bust"?

Other words for "Bust" include bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, biff, blow and bop. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bust" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bust"?

There are 389 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bust". Common alternatives include bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, biff, blow, bop, box and buffet.

What is the opposite of "Bust"?

Antonyms of "Bust" include blockbuster, hit, smash, success, winner, discharge, advance and elevate. Near antonyms include corker, crackerjack, dandy and jim-dandy.

How do you use "Bust" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bust" in a sentence: "delivered a bust to the boxer's chops"; "the first movie was a hit, but the sequel was an unexpected bust"; "those lowlifes were nabbed for drug dealing in a massive bust last month".

Is "Bust" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bust" can be used as a noun, a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Bust" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Bust" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Bust"?

"Bust" is pronounced /ˈbəst/.