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busy

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verb

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a busy place
a bustling place
a lively place
a hectic place
a crowded place
a congested place
a busy intersection
a bustling intersection
a crowded intersection
a congested intersection
a jammed intersection
a hectic intersection
a busy week
a hectic week
an eventful week
a productive week
a big week
a long week

Synonym Chooser

How is the word busy different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of busy are assiduous, diligent, industrious, and sedulous. While all these words mean "actively engaged or occupied," busy chiefly stresses activity as opposed to idleness or leisure.

too busy to spend time with the children

When would assiduous be a good substitute for busy?

While in some cases nearly identical to busy, assiduous stresses careful and unremitting application.

assiduous practice

In what contexts can diligent take the place of busy?

The words diligent and busy can be used in similar contexts, but diligent suggests earnest application to some specific object or pursuit.

very diligent in her pursuit of a degree

Where would industrious be a reasonable alternative to busy?

The synonyms industrious and busy are sometimes interchangeable, but industrious implies characteristic or habitual devotion to work.

industrious employees

When could sedulous be used to replace busy?

The words sedulous and busy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sedulous implies painstaking and persevering application.

a sedulous investigation of the murder

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of busy
Adjective
The 45th and 47th president is busy dismantling or partially disassembling government agencies created by congressional statute. David M. Drucker, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025 Kansas had a busy offseason, bringing in a new group of wide receivers for Daniels’ final fall in Lawrence. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
The evocation of the boy’s impure actions, as well as the undertow of sexuality in both his parish priest’s solicitude and his father’s violence, caught the attention of the censors, who typically busied themselves outlawing pulp erotica. Sam Sacks, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025 My mum busies herself with warm croissants and the waiting crossword. Carolyn Figel, Hazlitt, 27 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for busy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for busy
Adjective
  • The findings show that those with empathic leaders are more engaged (67% versus 24%), are able to be more innovative (61% versus 13%) at work and can better balance work priorities with personal obligations (86% versus 60%).
    Maria Ross, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The first: having an effective and engaged board of directors.
    Jack Fowler, National Review, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Encourage your student to reach out to local professors or professionals in fields that genuinely interest them, rather than focusing solely on prestigious summer programs with low acceptance rates.
    Dr. Aviva Legatt, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
  • What interests me with AI is the uncontrollability.
    Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Like all pitchers, he’s been very diligent on wanting to improve his game — like all great players do.
    Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2025
  • At this point in his career, injury management is as important as prevention, and Nimmo is extremely diligent with it.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Cultural enthusiasts can journey just ten minutes away to San Nicolas, Aruba’s vibrant art capital, bursting with street murals and creative works.
    Ashlee Marie Preston, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Against these extremes, skin tones look vibrant, varied, and balanced.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Few things are as annoying as a vacuum cleaner that leaves a strip of dust by the baseboards and in the corners.
    Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Ding-dong ditched … well into adulthood—one person rang a neighbor's doorbell repeatedly just to be annoying.
    Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Unlike classical computing, which processes information through bits that can exist in either zeros or ones, quantum computing is an evolving field where quantum bits (or qubits) can occupy both zero and one in a single unit.
    Rachel Curry, CNBC, 6 Apr. 2025
  • A couple of Jacob's cowboys take position on the roof, Zane takes cover out front, Elizabeth arms herself with a shotgun inside, and Cara occupies a sniper perch with her husband's elk rifle.
    Matt Cabral, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Here, her thriving rose collection has been a project years in the making—the product of a small, gradual endeavor that soared to new heights during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Since distancing from the royal family, Markle has been working on establishing herself as a thriving business woman.
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • There’s something officious about Alden Ehrenreich.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Jan. 2023
  • Her charming luxury treasure trove has none of that officious chilliness that defines the typical store of its ilk but instead feels like a brocanterie crammed with interesting, unexpected luxury goods from across the world.
    Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 2 Jan. 2023

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Cite this Entry

“Busy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/busy. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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