bustling

adjective

bus·​tling ˈbəs-liŋ How to pronounce bustling (audio)
ˈbə-sə-
: full of lively activity : busily astir
a bustling market
bustling streets
Commercial ships and recreational boats were serviced by a bustling marine industry.AAG Abstracts
bustlingly adverb
a bustlingly busy area

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Police said a shooter opened fire inside the waiting room of an Atlanta medical facility, killing one woman and injuring four others Wednesday as authorities swarmed the city’s bustling midtown neighborhood in search of the 24-year-old suspect. Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2023 And an enhanced New Zealand itinerary will highlight the country’s breathtaking nature, charming small towns, and bustling cities on a 12-day trip. Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 2 May 2023 As such, economists often invoke GDP as an indicator of the size and health of an economy, since large, bustling economies deliver greater output than smaller, idle ones. Max Zahn, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2023 Three-plus years after the pandemic and emergency orders emptied out bustling city centers, the bustle has not yet returned for some. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2023 Walk through the entrance on a bustling 14th Street NW and up the stairs to enter the main space. Olivia Mccormack, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2023 What was once a sleepy mountain town soon became a bustling minimetropolis. Michael Venutolo-mantovani, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Mar. 2023 The collaboration between the two artists was first unveiled on Feb. 24 when Turizo appeared wearing Marshmello’s emblematic white helmet amongst the bustling madness of New York City’s Times Square. Thania Garcia, Variety, 2 Mar. 2023 The driver tore through the bustling neighborhoods, which are nestled in the southwest portion of the borough. Hurubie Meko, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bustling was in 1582

Dictionary Entries Near bustling

Cite this Entry

“Bustling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bustling. Accessed 7 Jun. 2023.

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