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Webster 1913 Edition

Busy

Bus′y

(bĭz′zy̆)
,
Adj.
[OE.
busi
,
bisi
, AS.
bysig
; akin to D.
bezig
, LG.
besig
; cf. Skr.
bhūsh
to be active, busy.]
1.
Engaged in some business; hard at work (either habitually or only for the time being); occupied with serious affairs; not idle nor at leisure;
as, a
busy
merchant
.
Sir, my mistress sends you word
That she is
busy
, and she can not come.
Shakespeare
2.
Constantly at work; diligent; active.
Busy
hammers closing rivets up.
Shakespeare
Religious motives . . . are so
busy
in the heart.
Addison.
3.
Crowded with business or activities; – said of places and times;
as, a
busy
street
.
To-morrow is a
busy
day.
Shakespeare
4.
Officious; meddling; foolish active.
On meddling monkey, or on
busy
ape.
Shakespeare
5.
Careful; anxious.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Syn. – Diligent; industrious; assiduous; active; occupied; engaged.

Bus′y

(bĭz′zy̆)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Busied
(bĭz′zĭd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Busying
.]
[AS.
bysgian
.]
To make or keep busy; to employ; to engage or keep engaged; to occupy;
as, to
busy
one’s self with books
.
Be it thy course to
busy
giddy minds
With foreign quarrels.
Shakespeare

Webster 1828 Edition

Busy

BUSY

,
Adj.
biz'zy.
1.
Employed with constant attention; engaged about something that renders interruption inconvenient; as, a man is busy in posting his books.
My mistress is busy and cannot come.
2.
Actively employed; occupied without cessation; constantly in motion; as a busy bee.
3.
Active in that which does not concern the person; meddling with or prying into the affairs of others; officious; importunate;hence, troublesome; vexatious.
4.
Much occupied with employment; as a busy day.

BUSY

,
Verb.
T.
biz'zy. To employ with constant attention; to keep engaged; to make or keep busy; as, to busy one's self with books.
To be busied with genue and species.

Definition 2024

busy

busy

English

Adjective

busy ‎(comparative busier, superlative busiest)

  1. Crowded with business or activities; having a great deal going on.
    We crossed a busy street.
    • Shakespeare
      To-morrow is a busy day.
  2. Engaged in another activity or by someone else.
    The director cannot see you now: he's busy.
    Her telephone has been busy all day.
    He is busy with piano practice.
    They are busy getting ready for the annual meeting.
  3. Having a lot going on; complicated or intricate.
    Flowers, stripes, and checks in the same fabric make for a busy pattern.
  4. Officious; meddling.

Related terms

Synonyms

Translations

Verb

busy ‎(third-person singular simple present busies, present participle busying, simple past and past participle busied)

  1. (transitive) To make somebody busy, to keep busy with, to occupy, to make occupied.
    • On my vacation I'll busy myself with gardening.
  2. (transitive) To rush somebody.

Translations

Noun

busy ‎(plural busies)

  1. (slang, Britain, Liverpudlian, derogatory) A police officer.

Anagrams

References

  1. ↑ Upward, Christopher & George Davidson. 2011. The History of English Spelling. Wiley-Blackwell.

Etymology

From Middle English busi, besy, bisi, from Old English bysiġ, *biesiġ, bisiġ ‎(“busy, occupied, diligent”), from Proto-Germanic *bisigaz ‎(“diligent; zealous; busy”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian biesich ‎(“active, diligent, hard-working, industrious”), Dutch bezig ‎(“busy”), Low German besig ‎(“busy”), Old Frisian bisgia ‎(“to use”), Old English bisgian ‎(“to occupy, employ, trouble, afflict”). The spelling with ⟨u⟩ represents the pronunciation of the West Midland and Southern dialects while the Modern English pronunciation with /ɪ/ is from the dialects of the East Midlands.[1]

Pronunciation

  • enPR: bĭz'i, IPA(key): /ˈbɪzi/
  • Rhymes: -ɪzi

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