bust

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈbəst 

1

art : a sculptured representation of the upper part of the human figure including the head and neck and usually part of the shoulders and breast

has a bust of Abraham Lincoln in his office

2

: the upper part of the human torso between neck and waist

especially : the breasts of a woman

her bust size

bust

2 of 4

verb

busted also bust; busting

transitive verb

1

a

: to break or smash especially with force

bust a window

also : to make inoperative

busted my watch

b

: to bring an end to : break up

helped bust trusts

—Newsweek

—often used with up

better not try to bust up his happy marriage

—Forbes

c

: to ruin financially

the game of cheaters, which has busted more men than blackjack

—Arthur Mayse

d

: exhaust, wear out

—used in phrases like bust one's butt to describe making a strenuous effort

e

: to tease or give a hard time to

—often used in phrases like bust one's chops

I'm just busting your chops.

2

: tame

bronco busting

3

: demote

busted them to the bottom of the seniority list

—Time

4

slang

a

: arrest

busted for carrying guns

—Saul Gottlieb

b

: raid

busted the apartment

5

: hit, slug

felt like busting him in the face

6

informal : to execute or perform (a difficult, elaborate, or acrobatic movement, as when dancing)

bust a dance move

Hot Hot Heat's jittery, caffeinated rhythms and disco grooves are helping persuade punk kids to bust a move …

—Christian Hoard

intransitive verb

1

: to go broke

2

a

: burst

laughing fit to bust

b

: break down

Her camera busted.

3

a

card games : to lose at cards by exceeding a limit (such as the count of 21 in blackjack)

b

poker : to fail to complete a straight (see straight entry 4 sense 3) or flush

bust

3 of 4

noun (2)

1

a

: spree

b

: a hearty drinking session

a beer bust

2

a

: a complete failure : flop

b

economics : a business depression (see depression sense 2)

boom and bust

3

: punch, sock

a good bust on the nose

—J. T. Farrell

4

law enforcement, slang

a

: a police raid (see raid entry 1 sense 2b)

b

: arrest sense 1

made a couple of drug busts

bust

4 of 4

adjective

variants or busted

ˈbə-stəd 

economics : bankrupt, broke

go bust

Synonyms

Verb

• break
• degrade
• demote
• disrate
• downgrade
• reduce

Noun (2)

• bang
• bash
• bat
• beat
• belt
• biff
• blow
• bop
• box
• buffet
• chop
• clap
• clip
• clout
• crack
• cuff
• dab
• douse [British]
• fillip
• hack
• haymaker
• hit
• hook
• knock
• larrup [dialect]
• lash
• lick
• pelt
• pick
• plump
• poke
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slug
• smack
• smash
• sock
• spank
• stinger
• stripe
• stroke
• swat
• swipe
• switch
• thud
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• welt
• whack
• wham
• whop
• whap

Examples of bust in a Sentence

Verb

He busted his watch when he fell.

I think the camera is busted.

Police busted 12 gang members on weapons charges.

She got busted for drug possession.

Two students got busted by the teacher for smoking in the bathroom.

Noun (2)

delivered a bust to the boxer's chops

the first movie was a hit, but the sequel was an unexpected bust

those lowlifes were nabbed for drug dealing in a massive bust last month

a bunch of underage kids having a beer bust while the parents were away for the weekend

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Todaro’s arrest was one of at least three busts of cops for drunken driving in the past four days, a period in which police holiday parties are held around the city. —John Annese, New York Daily News, 16 Dec. 2024

Related article From $245 million bust to Super Bowl contender again: the redemption arc of ‘Mr. Unlimited’ Russell Wilson The Eagles took a 17-13 lead into halftime and the defense stepped up after the break, shutting out the Pittsburgh offense in the next two quarters. —Sam Joseph and, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024

Verb

Charli donned a jersey gown by creative director Anthony Vaccarello that featured sheer panels at the skirt and bust. —Marissa Muller, WWD, 8 Dec. 2024

President-elect Trump has promised to dismantle DEI, bust the accreditation cartel, and boost the tax on college endowments. —Frederick Hess, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

Adjective

When a quarterback is the sixth taken in the draft, his success rate hovers between forgettable and bust. —Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 18 Nov. 2024

In boom times as well as bust, the U.S. has outperformed. —Frank Holmes, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

borrowed from French & Italian; French buste "part of the torso above the waist," going back to Middle French, borrowed from Italian busto "tree trunk" (15th-century Upper Italian), "part of the torso above the waist, corset, sculpture or painting representing the head and upper body," going back to Vulgar Latin *būstis "trunk," perhaps alteration of Latin fūstis "stick, rod, cudgel" by crossing with a Celtic word of like meaning

Note: Outcomes of *būstis in Italy with the meaning "trunk" are attested in Upper Italian and to a limited degree in the south (see Lessico etimologico italiano); outside of Italy compare Old Occitan bustz "torso," Romansh (Engadine) büst, (Surselvan [dialect of the upper Rhine]) best "tree trunk, torso, body, bodice," Romanian buşteán "tree trunk." The traditional etymology of Italian busto connects it with classical Latin bustum "funeral pyre, burial mound" but the improbable notion of a transfer in sense from "burial mound" to "representation of the upper body" is not supported by the Romance evidence, which shows a clear progression "tree trunk" > "trunk of the body."

Verb

variant of burst entry 1 with assimilatory loss of /r/ before /s/

Note: See note at hoss

Noun (2)

derivative of bust entry 2

Adjective

from predicative use of bust entry 3

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1645, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1639, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Noun (2)

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Adjective

1836, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bust

• baby bust
• bust a/one's gut
• bust out
• bust out (something)
• bust someone's chops
• bust (something) out
• bust up
• go bust
• or bust

Kids Definition

bust

1 of 3 noun

ˈbəst 

1

: a piece of sculpture representing the upper part of the human figure including the human head and neck

2

: the upper part of the human body

especially : the breasts of a woman

bust

2 of 3 verb

busted also bust; busting

1

a

: to break or smash with force

busted my watch

b

: to bring an end to : break up sense 2

c

: to ruin or become ruined financially

d

: exhaust entry 1 sense 1b, wear sense 3c

—used in phrases like bust one's butt to describe the act of trying very hard

2

: to tame an animal

bust a bronco

3

: demote

4

slang

a

: arrest entry 1 sense 2

b

: raid entry 2

5

: hit entry 1 sense 1a, punch

buster noun

bust

3 of 3 noun

1

: punch entry 2 sense 1

2

: a complete failure : flop

3

slang : a police raid or arrest

Etymology

Noun

from French buste "head and shoulders sculpture," from Italian busto (same meaning), from Latin bustum "tomb"

Verb

an altered form of burst