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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word busy different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of busy are assiduous, diligent, industrious, and sedulous. While all these words mean "actively engaged or occupied," busy chiefly stresses activity as opposed to idleness or leisure.

too busy to spend time with the children

When would assiduous be a good substitute for busy?

While in some cases nearly identical to busy, assiduous stresses careful and unremitting application.

assiduous practice

In what contexts can diligent take the place of busy?

The words diligent and busy can be used in similar contexts, but diligent suggests earnest application to some specific object or pursuit.

very diligent in her pursuit of a degree

Where would industrious be a reasonable alternative to busy?

The synonyms industrious and busy are sometimes interchangeable, but industrious implies characteristic or habitual devotion to work.

industrious employees

When could sedulous be used to replace busy?

The words sedulous and busy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sedulous implies painstaking and persevering application.

a sedulous investigation of the murder

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 busy
Adjective
October will be a particularly busy month for executions, with seven scheduled. Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025 The actor is booked and busy with multiple projects in the pipeline, which is why season 1 of Chad Powers is dropping with only six episodes. Kristen Baldwin, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
Meanwhile, while Miranda busies herself with building a pageant empire, her husband Ray, a pill-popping nurse, has knocked up the 18-year-old granddaughter of one of his hospice patients. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025 Continuing to busy himself with creating collections and costume design, Poiret continues to look to the East, but also mines history for inspiration. Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 7 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for busy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for busy
Adjective
  • The engaged couple is still working together at the same police department.
    Clare Fisher, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
  • The fans have a right to be an engaged part of that cause.
    Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Just down the hill, West Hollywood has lots of other diversions to keep you entertained and at ease, including award-winning spas, sushi omakase at the always-buzzing Uchi, and endless workout opportunities from group fitness classes to Runyon Canyon hikes.
    Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 23 Sep. 2025
  • The space itself — bright, polished, and buzzing — sets the tone for a brunch that’s chic without being stiff.
    Rai Mincey, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Don’t be pushy, show your gratitude, be open-minded, smile, greet people by their first name, learn what interests them and, most of all, have a sense of humor.
    Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Since his death more than two hundred years ago, Christophe’s tragic story has interested a broad array of playwrights, artists, novelists, and filmmakers across the world.
    Marlene L. Daut September 22, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • When shopping for supplements, be diligent about choosing products that contain quality ingredients and are made by reputable companies.
    Sam Manzella, Flow Space, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Identifying stocks that combine strong fundamentals with cheap valuations should remain a priority for diligent investors.
    David Trainer, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The final range is a blend of Enriquez’s playfulness and Jardini’s lighthearted sophistication, expressed via bold patterns, flashy prints and vibrant colors.
    Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2025
  • With a rich heritage, a distinct language and cultural traditions rooted in family and ties to their land, the Diné remain one of the strongest, most vibrant Indigenous communities in the world.
    Suzette Brewer, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Don’t be mad at me for saying so, but from the buyer’s side, your ads are likely annoying.
    Renae Gregoire, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
  • The argument for quarterly reporting is that efficient and fair public markets require transparency, no matter how annoying that may be to executives who have to pay people to do the actual compliance, accounting and public-relations work around that report four times a year.
    Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • As Hughes is preparing to take the corner, Richards attacks the back-post zone and Munoz dashes towards the near post to occupy Kyle Walker-Peters.
    Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
  • The temperature map of the cosmic microwave background can be broken up into different components, some of which occupy large angular scales in the sky, and some of which occupy small angular scales, as well as everything in-between.
    Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • What started as a small orchard grew into Crown Orchard Company, a thriving wholesale business that now supplies fruit to grocery stores and military commissaries across the East Coast.
    Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Less remarked on, however, were significant commitments to the country's thriving tech startups.
    Ian King, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Busy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/busy. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

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