bustle
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to move around quickly and energetically, often because you have a lot to do.
v.to move in an energetic, busy, or fussy manner. Often used with the particle 'about'.
Simple“The waiters began to bustle about the dining room as the first guests arrived.”
In context“The administrative staff continued to bustle about the office, preparing for the sudden arrival of the regional inspectors.”
UsageOften followed by the preposition 'about' or 'around'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to be full of people or things moving around busily.
v.to teem or abound with energetic activity or people.
Simple“The city market started to bustle with shoppers early on Saturday morning.”
In context“By mid-morning, the terminal began to bustle with international travellers, creating a vibrant but chaotic atmosphere.”
UsageUsually followed by the preposition 'with'.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.busy, noisy, and excited activity.
n.excited, noisy, or energetic activity; a stir of movement.
Simple“I love the hustle and bustle of the big city during the holidays.”
In context“Despite the general bustle of the trade fair, the two CEOs managed to find a quiet corner for their private discussion.”
UsageCommonly appears in the fixed binomial phrase 'hustle and bustle'.
- 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a frame worn under the back of a woman's skirt in the past to change its shape.
n.a padded undergarment or frame worn under the back of a woman's skirt to add fullness or support drapery.
Simple“The museum displayed a Victorian dress that required a large bustle underneath.”
In context“Fashion historians noted that the size of the bustle reached its peak in the mid-1880s before disappearing from common use.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is historical; learners will only encounter it in literature or history contexts regarding 19th-century fashion.
- 05 C1 Advanced
n.a cover used to protect the back of a computer or office machine.
n.a protective cover or housing designed to hide the rear panel and cables of a computer or office machine.
Simple“The technician removed the bustle to access the cables at the back of the server.”
In context“The workstation was fitted with a custom bustle to maintain a clean aesthetic by concealing the messy wiring.”
“Photos of Mount Fuji, bowls of ramen and the bustle of Shibuya Crossing are filling up social media feeds.”
“When she married at 17, she imagined a home filled with children, a future measured by little footsteps and the bustle of a growing family.”
From Middle English bustlen, bustelen, bostlen, perhaps an alteration of *busklen (> Modern English buskle), a frequentative of Middle English busken (“to prepare; make ready”), from Old Norse búask (“to prepare oneself”); or alternatively from a frequentative form of Middle English busten, bisten (“to buffet; pummel; dash; beat”) + -le. Compare also Icelandic bustla (“to splash; bustle”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.