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View synonyms for

busy

[ biz-ee ]

adjective

busier, busiest.
  1. actively and attentively engaged in work or a pastime:

    busy with her work.

    Synonyms: ,

    Antonyms:

  2. not at leisure; otherwise engaged:

    He couldn't see any visitors because he was busy.

    Synonyms: ,

    Antonyms:

  3. full of or characterized by activity:

    a busy life.

  4. (of a telephone line) in use by a party or parties and not immediately accessible.
  5. officious; meddlesome; prying.
  6. 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)

busied, busying.
  1. to keep occupied; make or keep busy:

    In summer, he busied himself keeping the lawn in order.

busy

/ ˈɪɪ /

adjective

  1. actively or fully engaged; occupied
  2. crowded with or characterized by activity

    a busy day

  3. (of a room, telephone line, etc) in use; engaged
  4. overcrowded with detail

    a busy painting

  5. meddlesome; inquisitive; prying
“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

verb

  1. tr to make or keep (someone, esp oneself) busy; occupy
“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
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Derived Forms

  • ˈܲԱ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • ԴDz·ܲy adjective
  • v·ܲy adjective
  • p·ܲy adjective
  • ܲ·ܲy adjective
  • ɱ-ܲi adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of busy1

First recorded before 950; Middle English busi, bisi, Old English bysig, bisig; cognate with Middle Low German, Middle Dutch besich, Dutch bezig
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Word History and Origins

Origin of busy1

Old English bisig ; related to Middle Dutch besich , perhaps to Latin ڱī to hurry
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Idioms and Phrases

  • get busy
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Synonym Study

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.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Really though, you are only busying yourself and putting off the inevitable trek back home for a few more minutes.

From

Two plain-clothed police officers acknowledged that the neighbourhood was much busier than usual, but that it "felt like a Saturday," and that people had been very relaxed.

From

Hamas may be busy fighting Israel, but it's not afraid to punish its critics.

From

The Grammy winner seems to have a busy year of live performances ahead of him.

From

Denmark sits at the mouth of the Baltic, on a stretch of sea with busy shipping lanes.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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buswaybusy as a beaver