bustle
1 of 3verb
bus·tle ˈbə-səl 
bustled; bustling ˈbəs-liŋ
ˈbə-sə-
intransitive verb
1
: to move briskly and often ostentatiously
bustled around the kitchen
2
: to be busily astir : teem
The house was bustling with activity.
bustle
2 of 3noun (1)
: noisy, energetic, and often obtrusive activity
the hustle and bustle of the big city
bustle
3 of 3noun (2)
clothing : a pad or framework expanding and supporting the fullness and drapery of the back of a woman's skirt or dress
the bustle of a 19th century wedding gown
also : the drapery so supported
Synonyms
Verb
- abound
- brim
- bristle
- bulge
- burst
- buzz
- crawl
- hum
- overflow
- pullulate
- swarm
- teem
Noun (1)
- ado
- alarums and excursions
- ballyhoo
- blather
- bluster
- bobbery
- bother
- clatter
- clutter [chiefly dialect]
- coil
- commotion
- corroboree [Australian]
- disturbance
- do [chiefly dialect]
- foofaraw
- fun
- furor
- furore
- fuss
- helter-skelter
- hoo-ha
- hoo-hah
- hoopla
- hubble-bubble
- hubbub
- hullabaloo
- hurly
- hurly-burly
- hurricane
- hurry
- hurry-scurry
- hurry-skurry
- kerfuffle [chiefly British]
- moil
- pandemonium
- pother
- row
- ruckus
- ruction
- rumpus
- shindy
- splore [Scottish]
- squall
- stew
- stir
- storm
- to-do
- tumult
- turmoil
- uproar
- welter
- whirl
- williwaw
- zoo
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb She bustled around the kitchen getting ready for dinner guests. on Saturdays the city's downtown bustles with activity as a farmers' market sets up shop
Word History
Etymology
Verb and Noun (1)
probably alteration of obsolete buskle to prepare, frequentative of busk, from Old Norse būask to prepare oneself
Noun (2)
origin unknown
First Known Use
Verb
1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (1)
1637, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1782, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing bustle
Kids Definition
bustle 1 of 2
verb
bus·tle ˈbə-səl
bustled; bustling
: to move about in a busy or noisy way
bustle
2 of 2noun
: busy or noisy activity
bustles 1 of 2
noun
as in stirs
a state of noisy, confused activity I couldn't concentrate in all the bustle of the student lounge Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- stirs
- disturbances
- commotions
- fusses
- turmoils
- clatters
- noises
- rows
- clutters
- rackets
- storms
- roars
- fun
- blathers
- coils
- whirls
- ruckuses
- bothers
- hurricanes
- hubbubs
- pandemoniums
- corroborees
- tumults
- furors
- uproars
- hullabaloos
- zoos
- furores
- welters
- hooplas
- bluster
- kerfuffles
- alarums and excursions
- shindies
- flurries
- moils
- ballyhoos
- ados
- squalls
- hoo-hahs
- rumpuses
- ructions
- stews
- clamors
- pothers
- upheavals
- shindys
- foofaraws
- flutters
- bobberies
- hurly-burlies
- williwaws
- dins
- hurry-scurries
- hurlies
- cacophonies
- helter-skelters
- howls
- splores
- hubble-bubbles
- to-dos
- dos
- hurry-skurries
- brawls
- hoo-has
- outcries
- eruptions
- scuffles
- disorders
- frays
- outbreaks
- do's
- outbursts
- dithers
- fracas
- fracases
- hassles
- tizzies
- fevers
- melees
- frets
- mêlées
- lathers
- hue and cries
- flare-ups
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- hushes
- quiets
- calms
- rests
- tranquilities
- tranquillities
- peaces
- orders
- quietudes
bustles
2 of 2verb
1
as in buzzes
to be copiously supplied on Saturdays the city's downtown bustles with activity as a farmers' market sets up shop Synonyms & Similar Words
- buzzes
- bursts
- hums
- brims
- teems
- bulges
- abounds
- swarms
- bristles
- overflows
- crawls
- pullulates
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- needs
- wants
- lacks
2
as in scurries
to proceed or move quickly the hostess bustled about, taking care of last-minute preparations for the party Synonyms & Similar Words
- scurries
- rushes
- hurries
- speeds
- buzzes
- travels
- zips
- races
- trots
- flies
- drives
- chases
- jumps
- hustles
- scoots
- runs
- scuttles
- darts
- blows
- rustles
- steps
- dashes
- whirls
- blasts
- bowls
- jogs
- zooms
- whisks
- breezes
- rips
- tears
- shoots
- hurtles
- motors
- bolts
- barrels
- rams
- blazes
- belts
- hastens
- bundles
- hies
- humps
- rockets
- hurls
- nips
- careers
- careens
- courses
- pelts
- highballs
- cannonballs
- gallops
- hares
- jets
- flits
- beats it
- bombs
- scampers
- hotfoots (it)
- scuffles
- shakes a leg
- cracks (on)
- makes tracks
- whizzes
- steps on it
- beetles
- stampedes
- sprints
- accelerates
- gets a move on
- scuds
- streaks
- quickens
- overtakes
- outstrips
- outpaces
- outruns
- arrows
- steps out
- beelines
- fast-forwards
- catches up
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- crawls
- drags
- lingers
- pokes
- lags
- creeps
- strolls
- loiters
- pokes
- dawdles
- saunters
- hangs (around or out)
- ambles
- shuffles
- dallies
- tarries
- plods
- lumbers
- decelerates
- slows (down or up)
- dillydallies