English vocabulary · C1
Bustle
/ˈbʌsəl/ · v., n.
To bustle is to move fast while doing many things. Many people go in different ways around one busy place.
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Example sentences
- Shoppers bustled through the market.
- The kitchen bustled before dinner.
Word origin and roots
- origin — unknown
Synonyms and nuances
- HURRY — move very fast (Move With Little Time)
- RUSH — move with great speed (Move Too Fast)
- SCURRY — move with small steps (Quick Short Steps)
Similar words
- hurry
- rush
- scurry
Lesson notes
To bustle is to move fast while doing many things. Many people go in different ways around one busy place.
Related: hurry, rush, scurry. Use bustle when people move fast in a busy place.
Shoppers bustled through the market. The kitchen bustled before dinner.
Bustle has no known origin. It first appeared in English around 1400. No one knows where it came from, but everyone knows a busy rush.