bust

adjectiveinformal

UK /bʌst/

1
a company or organization that is bust has lost all its money and can no longer continue to operate
go bust:
The company went bust after only a year in business.
Synonyms and related words
Bankruptcy
administration
administrator
bankrupt
2
Britishbroken
My watch is bust.
Synonyms and related words
Broken, torn or damaged
broken
battered
faulty

bust

adjectiveinformal

US /bʌst/

1
a company or organization that is bust has lost all its money and can no longer continue to operate
go bust:
The company went bust after only a year in business.
Synonyms and related words
Bankruptcy
administration
administrator
bankrupt
2
Britishbroken
My watch is bust.
Synonyms and related words
Broken, torn or damaged
broken
faulty
flawed

bust

noun

UK /bʌst/

Word Forms

singular	bust
plural	busts

1
countable a model of the head and shoulders of a person made out of stone, wood, metal etc
a bust of Shakespeare
Synonyms and related words
Sculpture
bas-relief
bronze
bust
2
countable a woman’s breasts, used especially when taking their measurements
Measure the hips, waist, and bust.
Synonyms and related words
The breast and breasts
boob
bosom
breast
3
countable informalan occasion when the police go into a place to search it for illegal goods or activities, especially those relating to drugs
Synonyms and related words
Relating to using illegal drugs
abuse
addiction
addictive
Synonyms and related words
Arresting, interviewing and charging suspects
apprehend
apprehension
arrest
4
singular mainly Americaninformala complete failure
The movie was a bust.
Synonyms and related words
Failure
fail
fiasco
debacle

bust

noun

US /bʌst/

Word Forms

singular	bust
plural	busts

1
countable a model of the head and shoulders of a person made out of stone, wood, metal, etc.
a bust of Shakespeare
Synonyms and related words
Sculpture
bas-relief
bronze
bust
2
countable a woman’s breasts, used especially when taking their measurements
Measure the hips, waist, and bust.
Synonyms and related words
The breast and breasts
boob
bosom
breast
3
countable informalan occasion when the police go into a place to search it for illegal goods or activities, especially those relating to drugs
Synonyms and related words
Relating to using illegal drugs
abuse
addiction
a monkey on your back
Synonyms and related words
Arresting, interviewing and charging suspects
apprehend
apprehension
arrest
4
singular informala complete failure
The movie was a total bust.
Synonyms and related words
Failure
fail
fiasco
debacle

bust

verb transitive informal

UK /bʌst/

Word Forms

present tense
I/you/we/they	bust
he/she/it	busts
present participle	busting
past tense	bust or busted
past participle	bust or busted

1
to break or damage something very badly
I busted my knee playing basketball.
Thieves busted the lock and damaged the sliding door.
Synonyms and related words
To destroy or severely damage something
destroy
ruin
devastate
Synonyms and related words
To break
break
fall apart
shatter
2
usually passiveif someone is busted, they are arrested, especially for offences relating to drugs
bust someone for something:
He’s been busted for drug trafficking.
Synonyms and related words
Arresting, interviewing and charging suspects
apprehend
apprehension
arrest
1. 2a
  if the police bust a place, they search it for illegal goods or activities, especially those relating to drugs
  Synonyms and related words
  Arresting, interviewing and charging suspects
  apprehend
  apprehension
  arrest
3

bust
or
bust up
to stop an activity or organization from continuing to happen or exist
Businessmen hired mobsters to bust the unions.
Synonyms and related words
To stop something from continuing or developing
interfere with
inhibit
disrupt
4
bust a move/some moves
to dance
Dermot is busting some moves for 24 hours, all in aid of Comic Relief.
Submitted from:
United Kingdom on 13/03/2015
Open Dictionary - March2015

phrases

...or bust

phrasal verbs

bust out

bust up

bust

verb transitive informal

US /bʌst/

Word Forms

present tense
I/you/we/they	bust
he/she/it	busts
present participle	busting
past tense	busted or bust
past participle	busted or bust

1
to break or damage something very badly
I busted my knee playing basketball.
Thieves busted the lock and damaged the sliding door.
Synonyms and related words
To destroy or severely damage something
destroy
ruin
devastate
Synonyms and related words
To break
break
fall apart
shatter
2
usually passiveif someone is busted, they are arrested, especially for offenses relating to drugs
bust someone for something:
He’s been busted for drug trafficking.
Synonyms and related words
Arresting, interviewing and charging suspects
apprehend
apprehension
arrest
1. 2a
  if the police bust a place, they search it for illegal goods or activities, especially those relating to drugs
  Synonyms and related words
  Arresting, interviewing and charging suspects
  apprehend
  apprehension
  arrest
3
Americanto give someone in the military a lower rank as a punishment
He was busted to buck private.
Synonyms and related words
General words relating to army life
base
billet
bust
4

bust
or
bust up
to stop an activity or organization from continuing to happen or exist
Businessmen hired mobsters to bust the unions.
Synonyms and related words
To stop something from continuing or developing
cut into
shut off
kill
5
bust a move/some moves
to dance
Dermot is busting some moves for 24 hours, all in aid of Comic Relief.
Submitted from:
United Kingdom on 13/03/2015
Open Dictionary - March2015

phrases

bust your ass/butt

...or bust

phrasal verbs

bust out

bust up

bust

bust

bust ​‌

bust ​‌

bust

bust

bust up

bust a move/some moves

bust

bust

bust up

bust a move/some moves

bust

bust