Skip to main content
bust

bust

24 4.9
A sculpture of a person's head and upper chest
  • noun
  • /bʌst/
: busto
  • Beside it on a thick pedestal was a granite bust of Hemingway staring forward just above our eye level.
  • a marble bust
  • a portrait bust
  • bust-length

And now they're replacing that with a gold bust of Donald Trump.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • You already got the college to remove the founder's bust from the administration building.

  • Other highlights include this statue of Hermes at rest and this bust, likely of Dionysus.

  • This is actually a polystone bust, very heavy item.

  • And now they're replacing that with a gold bust of Donald Trump.

  • One expressed interest in a Frederic Remington bust.

  • A pedestal nearby displayed a metallic bust of the great inventor.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • In July 1664, he presented a terra-cotta bust of Mazarin to his associates there.

    Academic text (2001)
  • The museum displayed a stunning bust of the famous playwright, capturing every detail of his face.

  • Visitors admired the ancient bust that represented a Roman emperor, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship.

  • In the gallery, there was a magnificent bust of a historical figure, perfectly positioned under the soft lighting.

Synonyms

sculpture
vsbust
34 3.4

The art of making three-dimensional figures by carving or molding

is a specific portrait of head and upper chest rather than the general art
statuette
vsbust
9 5.4

A small statue of a person, animal, or thing

focuses on head and shoulders rather than a small whole figure
1 3.4

A work of art made by shaping clay, like a figure or pot

is specifically a portrait of head and upper chest regardless of material
term
vsbust
  • Archaic
9.9

A carved statue or bust on top of a pillar that marks a boundary

is a free-standing portrait of head and shoulders, not a pillar carving

Idioms

14 9.0

To tease or nag someone, often in a playful way

to bust a cap
  • Offensive
11 9.9

Shoot someone with a gun, often during violence or threats

to bust a nut
  • Offensive
5 9.9

To release semen during sex and used jokingly to show extreme excitement

Compounds

drug bust
  • NSFW
18 3.1

An occasion when police take illegal drugs and arrest people

bust-up
  • UK
1 7.1

A serious argument that ends a friendship or other relationship

A police action in which officers pretend to buy illegal drugs to arrest sellers

drugs bust
  • NSFW
1 3.7

An event when police take illegal drugs and arrest people

9.9

New owners sell a company's parts to pay the debt they used to buy it

How Complete

statue
443 1.0
torso
84 3.4
bust
24 4.9
head
267 1.8

Surface Forms

bust singular
busts plural

Etymology

Bust for a statue comes from an old word for the 'bust' or upper chest, so people used the same name for a small sculpture that shows the head and upper body.