busy

[ biz-ee ]
/ ˈbɪz i /

adjective, bus·i·er, bus·i·est.

verb (used with object), bus·ied, bus·y·ing.

to keep occupied; make or keep busy: In summer, he busied himself keeping the lawn in order.

Origin of busy

before 1000; Middle English busi, bisi, Old English bysig, bisig; cognate with Middle Low German, Middle Dutch besich, Dutch bezig

SYNONYMS FOR busy

1 assiduous, hard-working.
2 occupied, employed, working.

synonym study for busy

1. Busy, diligent, industrious imply active or earnest effort to accomplish something, or a habitual attitude of such earnestness. Busy means actively employed, temporarily or habitually: a busy official. Diligent suggests earnest and constant effort or application, and usually connotes fondness for, or enjoyment of, what one is doing: a diligent student. Industrious often implies a habitual characteristic of steady and zealous application, often with a definite goal: an industrious clerk working for promotion.

OTHER WORDS FROM busy

Example sentences from the Web for busy

British Dictionary definitions for busy

busy
/ (ˈbɪzɪ) /

adjective busier or busiest

actively or fully engaged; occupied
crowded with or characterized by activity a busy day
mainly US and Canadian (of a room, telephone line, etc) in use; engaged
overcrowded with detail a busy painting
meddlesome; inquisitive; prying

verb busies, busying or busied

(tr) to make or keep (someone, esp oneself) busy; occupy

Derived forms of busy

busyness, noun

Word Origin for busy

Old English bisig; related to Middle Dutch besich, perhaps to Latin festīnāre to hurry

Idioms and Phrases with busy

busy