bust

1 of 4

noun (1)

1
art : a sculptured representation of the upper part of the human figure including the head and neck and usually part of the shoulders and breast
has a bust of Abraham Lincoln in his office
2
: the upper part of the human torso between neck and waist
especially : the breasts of a woman
her bust size

bust

2 of 4

verb

busted also bust; busting

transitive verb

1
a
: to break or smash especially with force
bust a window
also : to make inoperative
busted my watch
b
: to bring an end to : break up
helped bust trustsNewsweek
often used with up
better not try to bust up his happy marriageForbes
c
: to ruin financially
the game of cheaters, which has busted more men than blackjackArthur Mayse
d
: exhaust, wear out
used in phrases like bust one's butt to describe making a strenuous effort
e
: to tease or give a hard time to
often used in phrases like bust one's chops
I'm just busting your chops.
2
: tame
bronco busting
3
: demote
busted them to the bottom of the seniority listTime
4
slang
a
: arrest
busted for carrying gunsSaul Gottlieb
b
: raid
busted the apartment
5
: hit, slug
felt like busting him in the face
6
informal : to execute or perform (a difficult, elaborate, or acrobatic movement, as when dancing)
bust a dance move
Hot Hot Heat's jittery, caffeinated rhythms and disco grooves are helping persuade punk kids to bust a move …Christian Hoard

intransitive verb

1
: to go broke
2
a
: burst
laughing fit to bust
b
: break down
Her camera busted.
3
a
card games : to lose at cards by exceeding a limit (such as the count of 21 in blackjack)
b
poker : to fail to complete a straight (see straight entry 4 sense 3) or flush

bust

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
a
: spree
b
: a hearty drinking session
a beer bust
2
a
: a complete failure : flop
b
economics : a business depression (see depression sense 2)
boom and bust
3
: punch, sock
a good bust on the noseJ. T. Farrell
4
law enforcement, slang
a
: a police raid (see raid entry 1 sense 2b)
b
: arrest sense 1
made a couple of drug busts

bust

4 of 4

adjective

variants or busted
economics : bankrupt, broke
go bust

Examples of bust in a Sentence

Verb He busted his watch when he fell. I think the camera is busted. Police busted 12 gang members on weapons charges. She got busted for drug possession. Two students got busted by the teacher for smoking in the bathroom.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Archaeologists unveiled the lifelike silicone bust this week at the Andean Sanctuaries Museum of the Catholic University of Santa Maria in Arequipa, Peru. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Oct. 2023 In California, Lee found himself among a competitive generation of software engineers landing in the wake of the dot-com bust with ambitions to build digital empires over the old wreckage. Albert Samaha, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2023 Ronaldo's bust — unveiled in 2017 at the renaming of Portugal’s Madeira International Airport to Aeroporto Cristiano Ronaldo —set the Internet ablaze thanks to its, uh, quirks. Alex Heigl, Peoplemag, 17 Oct. 2023 McCollum recommends using a Roman column as a side table to add a touch of artful elegance to your space, or add a miniature Roman bust or statue to your bookshelf as an eye-catching accent piece. Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Oct. 2023 The resulting bust was, in fact, the real reason that Mirai had definitively won that rivalry. Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 14 Nov. 2023 Buyer’s bust The spreadsheet says California was in buyer’s market status one-third of the time since 1990. Jonathan Lansner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Nov. 2023 Take the trend a step further and look for Roman statue candles that mimic the plaster busts found throughout ancient homes for a conversation-starting decor element. Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Nov. 2023 Floral appliques accentuated the bust and the midriff portion of the piece styled by Thomas Christos her longtime stylist. Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 30 Oct. 2023
Verb
Stars have been everywhere this week, from Pitbull busting a move in Detroit to Lupita Nyong'o's appearance at the 2023 LACMA Art+Film Gala in California. People Staff, Peoplemag, 6 Nov. 2023 The wind decided to have a mind of its own that night and switched to a straight east, which allowed two different does to bust me. Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 1 Nov. 2023 The man under whose administration you were indicted, and who said very negative things about you publicly, has now been busted for, among other things, mishandling classified documents and has been charged under the Espionage Act — the same arcane law you were charged under. Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2023 Officers used a tool known as a Halligan bar to bust open a hole in the bathroom door, then fired pepperballs inside. David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Oct. 2023 WeWork joins the likes of Core Scientific Inc., one of the largest miners of Bitcoin, and Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit Holdings Inc. to go bust and wipe out billions in market value. Bailey Lipschultz, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2023 There will be great opportunities for those who manage to get efficiency from AI, but still bust through barriers with surprising and authentic approaches to their work. WIRED, 20 Oct. 2023 Sadly, powerful manifestos can lead to imperfect revolutions, and feminist revisions, in their aim of busting through old stories, can sometimes forget to write new ones. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2023 More than a dozen squatters were busted living in a Florida motel the county is trying to renovate to become a homeless shelter. Emma Colton, Fox News, 30 Oct. 2023
Adjective
The state was in the midst of a speculative land frenzy that was always threatening to go bust. Alexander Sammon, Harper's Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023 The first of three busts on our list from the incredibly bust-y 2015 draft. Evan Grant, Dallas News, 28 June 2023 The foundation’s public backers — at the time the province of Messina, the Taormina municipality and the Messina city council — were bust. Ilaria Ravarino, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 June 2023 Crushed by tragedy: George McCloud, more than a Pacers bust These players have made significant contributions to the Indiana Pacers franchise and have left a lasting impact on the team's history. Joe Mutascio, The Indianapolis Star, 3 July 2023 There are prospects likely to be available at No. 5 who are viewed as having both superstar and bust potential. Detroit Free Press, 20 June 2023 In a way, the ruins make as powerful a statement as the second, and intact, bust. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 6 Feb. 2023 The incredible piece includes black velvet details across the shoulders, bust, and waist, cut into shapes meant to accentuate or sculpt parts of the body. Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 17 May 2023 In front of the mirror, place a bust, floral arrangement, or pair of candelabras. 5. Catie Parrish, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bust.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

borrowed from French & Italian; French buste "part of the torso above the waist," going back to Middle French, borrowed from Italian busto "tree trunk" (15th-century Upper Italian), "part of the torso above the waist, corset, sculpture or painting representing the head and upper body," going back to Vulgar Latin *būstis "trunk," perhaps alteration of Latin fūstis "stick, rod, cudgel" by crossing with a Celtic word of like meaning

Note: Outcomes of *būstis in Italy with the meaning "trunk" are attested in Upper Italian and to a limited degree in the south (see Lessico etimologico italiano); outside of Italy compare Old Occitan bustz "torso," Romansh (Engadine) büst, (Surselvan [dialect of the upper Rhine]) best "tree trunk, torso, body, bodice," Romanian buşteán "tree trunk." The traditional etymology of Italian busto connects it with classical Latin bustum "funeral pyre, burial mound" but the improbable notion of a transfer in sense from "burial mound" to "representation of the upper body" is not supported by the Romance evidence, which shows a clear progression "tree trunk" > "trunk of the body."

Verb

variant of burst entry 1 with assimilatory loss of /r/ before /s/

Note: See note at hoss

Noun (2)

derivative of bust entry 2

Adjective

from predicative use of bust entry 3

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1645, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1639, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Noun (2)

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Adjective

1836, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bust was in 1639

Dictionary Entries Near bust

Cite this Entry

“Bust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bust. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

bust

1 of 3 noun
1
: a piece of sculpture representing the upper part of the human figure including the human head and neck
2
: the upper part of the human body
especially : the breasts of a woman

bust

2 of 3 verb
busted also bust; busting
1
a
: to break or smash with force
busted my watch
b
: to bring an end to : break up sense 2
c
: to ruin or become ruined financially
d
: exhaust entry 1 sense 1b, wear sense 3c
used in phrases like bust one's butt to describe the act of trying very hard
2
: to tame an animal
bust a bronco
3
: demote
4
5
buster noun

bust

3 of 3 noun
1
2
: a complete failure : flop
3
slang : a police raid or arrest
Etymology

Noun

from French buste "head and shoulders sculpture," from Italian busto (same meaning), from Latin bustum "tomb"

Verb

an altered form of burst

More from Merriam-Webster on bust

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