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buster

buster

2 6.0
A lively energetic child who runs and plays a lot
  • noun
  • /ˈbʌstər/
  • Informal
: pillín
  • Come on, buster.

Examples

Synonyms

monkey
vsbuster
  • Informal
310 4.1

A playful child who likes to play tricks

stresses vigorous energy and strength rather than playful teasing
kiddie
vsbuster
  • Informal
88 7.7

A young child

is more specific about vigorous energy and robustness than general youth
poppet
vsbuster
  • Archaic
9 7.8

A small doll or a name for a sweet child

focuses on lively robustness instead of gentle sweetness
bubba
vsbuster
  • Baby Talk
4 9.4

A playful name for a baby or very young child

emphasizes lively strength and robustness rather than babylike softness
bub
vsbuster
  • UK
1 9.8

A baby or very young child

denotes a more active, robust youngster rather than a helpless infant
little rugrat
vsbuster
  • Slang
1 8.2

A small child who makes trouble in a playful way

is more about lively strong energy rather than focused mischief
babby
vsbuster
  • UK
1 9.9

A very young child such as a newborn

leans toward energetic robustness instead of infant dependency
yard ape
vsbuster
  • Slang
1 9.9

A lively child who likes to climb and play noisy games

highlights robustness and spirited energy rather than merely rowdy play
bratling
vsbuster
  • Offensive
1 9.3

A small child who behaves badly, often in a playful way

is affectionate and energetic rather than mildly disparaging in tone
bubber
vsbuster
  • UK
1 9.9

A very young child people speak to with love

applies to an energetic, robust youngster rather than a passive infant

Compounds

4 8.9

A job or task that is hard and makes you very tired

bunker buster
  • Specialized
4 7.9

A very strong bomb that breaks through thick concrete to explode inside underground shelters

clot buster
  • Specialized
1 3.8

A medicine that breaks up blood clots that block blood flow, often in the heart

1 9.6

A person who trains wild horses so people can ride them

gut buster
  • Informal
1 6.7

A very large filling meal that is hard to finish

gut buster
  • Informal
1 6.1

A very funny joke or show that makes people laugh loudly

lung buster
  • Slang
1 8.9

A very hard physical activity that makes you breathe very fast

baby buster
  • Archaic
1 7.3

A person born after the baby boom when birth rates fell

A person who shows that ideas many people believe are wrong

middle buster
  • Archaic
9.9

A plow that makes a deep middle row and moves soil to both sides

thirst-buster
  • Informal
4.0

A cold drink that quickly makes you feel refreshed

How Energetic

hyperactivity
  • Specialized
10 4.6
bundle of energy
  • Informal
1 3.4
buster
  • Informal
2 6.0
lively
109 1.3
playful
72 1.6
calm
680 1.0

Surface Forms

buster singular
busters plural

Morphology

buster = bust (semi-transparent) = bust + er

Often used as an affectionate nickname for a lively child (or as a pet name), so the link to the verb 'bust' is indirect and not obvious to learners.

Etymology

Buster for a lively child comes from the verb bust, which meant 'to break' or 'burst', so a 'buster' is someone who seems to burst with energy.