busy
busy (biz′ē)
adjective bus′i·er, bus′i·est
- occupied in some activity; at work; not idle
- full of activity; characterized by much action or motion
- in use at the moment, as a telephone line
- indicating such use the busy signal
- meddlesome
- having so much detail, variety of color, etc. as to create a confusing, displeasing effect
Etymology: ME busi < OE bisig, occupied, diligent; akin to Du bezig: seen only in LowG & E
transitive verb bus′·ied, bus′y·ing
to make or keep busy: often used reflexively
Etymology: ME busien < OE bisgian, to occupy, employ < bisgu, occupation, labor
busy
modif.
Engaged
occupied, diligent, working, employed, involved, tied up, in conference, in a meeting, in the field, on an assignment; with a customer, with a patient, etc.; on duty, on the job, at work, on the move, on the run, on the road, hard-working, industrious, buried in, busy as a bee*, hustling*, up to one's ears, up to one's neck, up to one's eyeballs*, on the go*, on the jump*, hard at it*, having many irons in the fire*, having other fish to fry*; see also employed.Antonyms
idle, unemployed*, unoccupied*, free. * Active
In use
employed, occupied, in someone else's possession, unavailable, already taken, full; see also rented.Officious
meddlesome, curious, forward, intrusive, obtrusive, meddling, prying, interfering, butting in*, snoopy*, nosy*, pushy*; see also meddlesome.Too crowded with detail
fussy, cluttered, overelaborate; see elaborate 1, ornate 1. See syn. study at diligent.
Preposition: at
- moment: I'm busy at the moment wondering which courses I should take to get some qualifications.
- weekend: The pools near us are so busy at weekends so its nicer for him to go in the week.
Adjective complement with noun phrase
- keep: There is plenty to keep students busy with lots of choices within the eight main areas.
Modifies a noun
- schedule: I keep a busy schedule trying to fit them in.
- road: Our busy roads are no longer able to cope without putting lives at risk.
- airport: Quality hotels at Heathrow, the UK's busiest airport, all at cheaper rates.
- lifestyle: I can fit the degree into my busy lifestyle.
- port: The city of Izmir is the third largest in turkey and has a busy port on the Aegean Sea.
- street: We go from the backyard of a house to a busy street.
Modifying Another Word
- too: The phrase " I'm too busy " simply does not exist here.
- extremely: The ward was extremely busy at the time; there were only enough staff to care for 22 patients.
- very: Just about getting settled down had a very busy week hoping to hear from you soon love to all from all your sister Belle.
- exceptionally: I fear, my gift will be a little late, but you will forgive when you know how exceptionally busy I have been.
- incredibly: D ' I have had an incredibly busy year, both academically and socially.
Infinitive complement
- pray: Are you too busy to pray or too busy not to pray?
Used with adjective complement
- keep: Married to Rachel, he is kept busy with four children.
- get: Be warned the place's get busy between 11am to 1pm.
- stay: Yet you don't have to stay busy all day every day.
- become: The cadets were very keen and Sunday mornings became as busy as any weekday.
Preposition: in
- summer: Accommodation may be busy in summer and higher, more remote, parts difficult in winter.
There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired.
A busy manwho can keep up a daily journal resembles a Steel person preparing for bed with the shades up When such a man publishes parts of his journal, the reader must conclude he always knew the lights were on.
Paintin's not important. What's important is keepin' busy.
O Lord! Thou knowest how busy I must be this day: if I forget thee, do not thou forget me.
Nowher so bisy a man as he ther nas, And yet he semed bisier than he was.
