busy

adjective

ˈbi-zē 

busier; busiest

1

a

: engaged in action : occupied

She's busy studying.

has enough work to keep him busy for a while

b

: being in use

found the phone busy

2

: full of activity : bustling

a busy seaport

3

: foolishly or intrusively active : meddling

… a busy, fussy sort of man much concerned with regulating everything …

—A. M. Young

4

: full of distracting detail

a busy design

busily

ˈbi-zə-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of busy

• engaged
• diligent
• employed
• occupied
• working
• active
• preoccupied

Choose the Right Synonym for busy

busy, industrious, diligent, assiduous, sedulous mean actively engaged or occupied.

busy chiefly stresses activity as opposed to idleness or leisure.

too busy to spend time with the children

industrious implies characteristic or habitual devotion to work.

industrious employees

diligent suggests earnest application to some specific object or pursuit.

very diligent in her pursuit of a degree

assiduous stresses careful and unremitting application.

assiduous practice

sedulous implies painstaking and persevering application.

a sedulous investigation of the murder

Examples of busy in a Sentence

She's busy preparing for her test.

Are you busy? Can I talk to you for a minute?

I will be busy cleaning the house.

I'm sorry I haven't called. I've been so busy.

busy people who don't have time to cook

I got enough work to keep me busy for a while.

He is a very busy person.

He's been busy in the kitchen all afternoon.

My week has been so busy!

Is there any time in your busy schedule for us to have lunch next week?

Recent Examples on the Web

Call it artistic expression, or maybe just a Knicks fan too busy jumping for joy to cut the outtakes. —Jared Weiss, New York Times, 8 June 2026

The attack comes amid heightened security around Madison Square Garden, which lies directly above the busy intercity railroad station, where the New York Knicks are hosting the San Antonio Spurs for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Wednesday. —Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 8 June 2026

Visitors from around the world now regularly stop in, and Cook says that drag in her hometown has never been busier. —Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026

Were the Kroenkes too busy, too distracted, too ambivalent? —Troy Renck, Denver Post, 7 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bisy, from Old English bisig; akin to Middle Dutch & Middle Low German besich busy

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing busy

• as busy as a bee
• busy as a bee
• busy bee
• busy oneself
• get busy
• has a busy/hectic social life

Rhymes for busy

• fizzy
• frizzy
• lizzie

Kids Definition

busy

1 of 2 adjective

ˈbiz-ē 

busier; busiest

1

a

: involved in action : actively at work

too busy to eat

b

: being in use

the phone line is busy

2

: full of activity

a busy street

busily

ˈbiz-ə-lē 

adverb

busyness

ˈbiz-ē-nəs 

noun

busy

2 of 2 verb

busied; busying

: to make or keep busy