side hustle

noun

variants or less commonly side-hustle

ˈsīd-ˌhə-səl 

plural side hustles also side-hustles

: work performed for income supplementary to one's primary job

These days, lots of people have a side hustle to help them earn extra income, develop new skills, become a business owner and quit their day job.

—Kitsap Sun

The best part of using a blog as a side hustle is the work you put in now will continue to pay off well into the future.

—Emory Wheel (Emory University)

Want to learn a new skill you've had your eyes on for quite some time? Or perhaps you want to take up a new hobby that you can eventually turn into a side hustle?

—Jan Cortes

We all know that millennials love a good side hustle—to fuel both their passions and their wallets.

—Alissa Carpenter

Examples of side hustle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Once viewed as a side hustle, the creator economy has evolved into a $250 billion global industry, projected to reach $480 billion by 2027 according to Goldman Sachs. —Alejandra Rojas, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025

Given the high cost of living, taking on a side hustle alongside a nine-to-five job is increasingly becoming the norm. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 23 July 2025

Compounding that with a large portion of his core audience hasn’t agreed with his side hustle performance has forced a reevaluation of the company’s future performance. —Eric D. Lawrence, Freep.com, 3 July 2025

And there are tools to streamline and make your side hustle easier once you’ve gotten started. —Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 27 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for side hustle

• mofussil
• bustle
• muscle
• mussel
• russel
• rustle
• trussell
• tussle