bustle

1 of 3

verb

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 3

noun (1)

: noisy, energetic, and often obtrusive activity

the hustle and bustle of the big city

bustle

3 of 3

noun (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

Examples of bustle in a Sentence

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

Noun (1)

I couldn't concentrate in all the bustle of the student lounge

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Despite the Carlton hotel bustling as the beating heart of Cannes during the film festival, Rüya is not planning any splashy events. —Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 13 May 2025

The streets around Fenway Park, usually bustling in July, had become a ghost town. —Justin Birnbaum, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025

Noun

Full of celebrity suites, festival partners L’Oréal and Chopard, and a lobby filled with photo shoots, the hotel is at the heart of the hustle and bustle. —Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 13 May 2025

Josh Duhamel prefers to raise his sons in his rural cabin in Minnesota rather than in the hustle and bustle of Hollywood. —Janelle Ash , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2025

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

• hustle and bustle

Rhymes for bustle

• hustle
• muscle
• mussel
• russel
• rustle
• trussell
• tussle
• mofussil

Kids Definition

bustle

1 of 2 verb

bus·​tle ˈbəs-əl 

bustled; bustling ˈbəs-(ə-)liŋ 

: to move about busily or noisily

bustle

2 of 2 noun

: noisy or energetic activity