bustling

1 of 2

adjective

bus·​tling ˈbəs-liŋ 

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

bustling

2 of 2

present participle of bustle entry 1

Synonyms of bustling

Adjective

• busy
• engaged
• diligent
• employed
• occupied

Examples of bustling in a Sentence

Adjective

a bustling greeter was there to welcome guests to the grand opening

a bustling shopping center during the Christmas season

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

After a monthlong fashion marathon that went from New York to Paris, a quieter-than-usual Shanghai Fashion Week felt almost like a respite in a still-bustling metropolis that offered no shortage of cultural activities on the side. — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026

Forced to pick up the pieces of her life on the eve of the Great Depression, the reserved Caddie lands a job behind a bustling pub. — Ed Meza, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

But in the early 1800s, Charleston was a bustling commercial hub, and Jewish merchants from a variety of backgrounds gravitated there in search of security and new opportunities. — Ashley Walters, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026

Wynwood began as farmland, then became an industrial hub and, eventually, a bustling garment district. — Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1582, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bustling

• hustling