BUSIED Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

busied

verb

past tense of busy

as in interested

to hold the attention of the video game busied the child for hours

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of busied That’s certainly how Republicans busied themselves in the last two years of the Biden administration, when Hunter Biden got more airtime than pharmaceutical ads. — Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 2 Sep. 2026 While their fellow Plums busied themselves with bridal parties and wedding cakes, these girls had political awakenings. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 27 May 2026 Appropriately, 19 miles east of their first major trophy lift since the 2021/22 League Cup, City men busied themselves by lifting the FA Cup over Chelsea in what was Pep Guardiola’s 24th visit to Wembley Stadium and his 20th major trophies as City manager. — Megan Feringa, New York Times, 17 May 2026 Another busied himself writing and rewriting the mundane information on his slate. — Taran Khan, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026 Emma shook her head and busied herself with picking up her waders. — Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026 The department has also busied itself in Minneapolis with prosecuting residents opposed to what federal officials are doing in their city and immigrants trying to flee their pursuers, a tactic seen in other cities targeted for immigration enforcement. — Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026 For the first 12 minutes, the Celtics busied themselves by snapping up free points. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026 Eventually, though, after the Falcons recovered an onside kick successfully and knelt the rest of the way en route to a 19-17 victory, the family busied themselves jumping up and down, screaming for joy. — Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 5 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for busied

Verb

What interested me most was the psychic cost of doing this work day in and day out.

— Clayton Davis, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
Someone interested primarily in direct one-to-one dating may place less value on its community emphasis.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of interested

Verb

Since those moments Birmingham has occupied a central space in the physical and spiritual lineage of America's Civil Rights Movement.

— Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026
In the corner of the mall occupied by the Cinemark Rave movie theater, the smell of butter wafted into a lobby with another dry fountain.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of occupied

Verb

But then an acquaintance asked how the London lamppost ended up in the middle of Narnia’s woodland, and Lewis was intrigued enough by the question to start a prequel, The Magician’s Nephew, in order to find an answer.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026
Of the four-person ensemble, I was most intrigued by Rachna Khatau, the wild card of the group whose roles are the most slyly scheming and unpredictable.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of intrigued

Verb

That means that they will be involved in organizing and financing all of the costs associated with the running of college sports as their minor professional leagues.

— Bruce Svare, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2026
The data breach involved Educational Testing Service or ETS, which provides extensive services to California.

— Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of involved

Verb

In 2008, passionate surfer Tim Russo purchased the property, renamed it, and set out to organically grow it into a resort full of wonder where serious surfers and travelers fascinated with the surf lifestyle could vacation happily.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026
Ancient Greeks were fascinated by phallic symbols and that showed in their comedy.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of fascinated

Browse Nearby Words

bushwhacks

busied

busies

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Busied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/busied. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of busied

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

bon vivant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes