Bustling — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈbəs-liŋ/ bus·tling

Meaning & Definition of Bustling

Bustling (adjective)

  1. full of lively activity, busily astir

Bustling (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. involved in often constant activity

    "a bustling greeter was there to welcome guests to the grand opening"

    similar: active, assiduous, busy, diligent, employed, engaged, hopping, industrious, laborious, occupied, sedulous, tied-up, working
    related: knee-deep, swamped, animated, astir, buzzing, flourishing, happening, humming, lively, thriving, vibrant, absorbed, concentrating, engrossed, focused, immersed, intent, preoccupied, alive, functional, functioning, going, living, operating, operational, operative, running, energetic, vigorous, hardworking, indefatigable, tireless, untiring
    opposite: idle, inactive, unbusy, unemployed, unoccupied
    near: free, asleep, dormant, latent, lifeless, quiescent, sleepy, inert, passive, dead, dull, slow, inoperative, nonoperating

  2. marked by much life, movement, or activity

    "a bustling shopping center during the Christmas season"

    similar: aboil, abubble, abuzz, alive, animated, astir, brisk, busy, buzzing, flourishing, happening, hopping, humming, kinetic, lively, rousing, stirring, thriving, vibrant
    related: abounding, crowded, overflowing, populous, swarming, teeming, thronging
    opposite: asleep, dead, inactive, lifeless, sleepy

Bustling (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to be copiously supplied

    "on Saturdays the city's downtown bustles with activity as a farmers' market sets up shop"

    similar: abounding, brimming, bristling, bulging, bursting, buzzing, crawling, humming, overflowing, pullulating, swarming, teeming
    near: lacking, needing, wanting

  2. to proceed or move quickly

    "the hostess bustled about, taking care of last-minute preparations for the party"

    similar: barreling, belting, blasting, blazing, blowing, bolting, bombing (slang), bowling, breezing, bundling, buzzing, cannonballing, careening, careering, chasing, coursing, cracking (on), dashing, driving, flying, haring, hastening, highballing, hotfooting (it), humping, hurling, hurrying, hurtling, hustling, hying, jetting, jumping, motoring, nipping, pelting, racing, ramming, ripping, rocketing, running, rushing, rustling, scooting, scurrying, scuttling, shooting, speeding, stepping, tearing, traveling, trotting, whirling, whisking, zipping, zooming, beating it, getting a move on, making tracks, shaking a leg, stepping on it
    related: beetling, darting, flitting, scampering, scudding, scuffling, stampeding, streaking, whizzing, galloping, jogging, sprinting, accelerating, quickening, stepping out, catching up, fast-forwarding, outpacing, outrunning, outstripping, overtaking, arrowing, beelining
    opposite: crawling, creeping, poking
    near: dallying, dawdling, dillydallying, dragging, hanging (around or out), lagging, lingering, loitering, poking, tarrying, ambling, lumbering, plodding, sauntering, shuffling, strolling, decelerating, slowing (down or up)

Related Entry: Bustle (verb)

Bustle is a different word from Bustling. The synonyms below are for bustle, not for bustling.

  1. to be copiously supplied

    "on Saturdays the city's downtown bustles with activity as a farmers' market sets up shop"

    similar: abound, brim, bristle, bulge, burst, buzz, crawl, hum, overflow, pullulate, swarm, teem
    near: lack, need, want

  2. to proceed or move quickly

    "the hostess bustled about, taking care of last-minute preparations for the party"

    similar: barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bolt, bomb (slang), bowl, breeze, bundle, buzz, cannonball, careen, career, chase, course, crack (on), dash, drive, fly, hare, hasten, hie, highball, hotfoot (it), hump, hurl, hurry, hurtle, hustle, jet, jump, motor, nip, pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket, run, rush, rustle, scoot, scurry, scuttle, shoot, speed, step, tear, travel, trot, whirl, whisk, zip, zoom, beat it, get a move on, make tracks, shake a leg, step on it
    related: beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle, stampede, streak, whiz, gallop, jog, sprint, accelerate, quicken, step out, catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake, arrow, beeline
    opposite: crawl, creep, poke
    near: dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry, amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up)

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bustling

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bustling:

Slang: bombing
active, assiduous, busy, diligent, employed, engaged, hopping, industrious, laborious, occupied, sedulous, tied-up, working, aboil, abubble, abuzz, alive, animated, astir, brisk, buzzing, flourishing, happening, humming, kinetic, lively, rousing, stirring, thriving, vibrant, abounding, brimming, bristling, bulging, bursting, crawling, overflowing, pullulating, swarming, teeming

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bustling

Words with the opposite meaning of Bustling:

idle, inactive, unbusy, unemployed, unoccupied, asleep, dead, lifeless, sleepy, crawling, creeping, poking

Related Words for Bustling

knee-deep, swamped, absorbed, concentrating, engrossed, focused, immersed, intent, preoccupied, functional, functioning, going, living, operating, operational, operative, energetic, vigorous, hardworking, indefatigable, tireless, untiring, crowded, populous, thronging, beetling, darting, flitting, scampering, scudding

Near Antonyms of Bustling

free, dormant, latent, quiescent, inert, passive, dull, slow, inoperative, nonoperating, lacking, needing, wanting, dallying, dawdling, dillydallying, dragging, hanging (around or out), lagging, lingering, loitering, tarrying, ambling, lumbering, plodding, sauntering, shuffling, strolling, decelerating, slowing (down or up)

Word Forms of Bustling

Derived words: bustlingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Bustling

First known use: 1582

Frequently Asked Questions about Bustling

What does "Bustling" mean?

"Bustling" means full of lively activity, busily astir. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: full of lively activity, busily astir. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bustling"?

Other words for "Bustling" include active, assiduous, busy, diligent, employed, engaged, hopping and industrious. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bustling" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bustling"?

There are 147 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bustling". Common alternatives include active, assiduous, busy, diligent, employed, engaged, hopping, industrious, laborious and occupied.

What is the opposite of "Bustling"?

Antonyms of "Bustling" include idle, inactive, unbusy, unemployed, unoccupied, asleep, dead and lifeless. Near antonyms include free, dormant, latent and quiescent.

How do you use "Bustling" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bustling" in a sentence: "a bustling greeter was there to welcome guests to the grand opening"; "a bustling shopping center during the Christmas season"; "on Saturdays the city's downtown bustles with activity as a farmers' market sets up shop".

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

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

How do you pronounce "Bustling"?

"Bustling" is pronounced /ˈbəs-liŋ/ and divided into syllables as bus·tling.

What is the origin of the word "Bustling"?

First known use: 1582.