busy as a bee
Very active; working constantly.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“She is as busy as a bee today.”
“With the wedding only two days away, the bride is as busy as a bee finishing all the final decorations.”
“Throughout the entire harvest season, the farmer remained as busy as a bee, laboring from dawn until dusk to gather the crops before the winter frost arrived.”
The idiom derives from the Middle English phrase bisy as bees, a comparison noting the perceived industriousness of the insect. It is a formulaic similetic construction of considerable longevity, having remained stable in its essential components for several centuries.
- 01
bee in one's bonnet
Something of particular interest or concern; an obsession.
- 02
birds and bees
Informal education about sex.
- 03
busy as a nailer
working constantly.
- 04
busy work
Work or activity performed with the intention or result of occupying time, and not necessarily to accomplish something productive; routine work of low priority undertaken for the sake of avoiding idleness.
- 05
get busy
To have sex.
- 06
keep someone busy
To ensure that someone's attention is occupied, often to prevent them from becoming bored or noticing something.
- 07
queen bee
The most important or dominant woman in an organization or situation.
Last updated August 10, 2026