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buster

buster

232 9.1
A rude way to speak to a man to show anger or warn him
  • noun
  • /ˈbʌstər/
  • Offensive
translation icon : imbécil
  • You know that, buster?

Examples

Synonyms

fellow
vsbuster
  • Informal
333 1.4

A man or boy you speak to in a friendly way

is harsher, often conveying irritation or a warning tone
dude
vsbuster
  • Informal
185 8.0

A casual word for a man

is used more to scold or warn rather than be merely casual
bub
vsbuster
  • Informal
41 9.3

A friendly way to speak to a boy or man in casual talk

is typically stronger, used to express irritation or give warnings
bubba
vsbuster
  • Slang
28 9.3

A casual way to call a man, either friendly or rude

is more focused on irritation or warning than general friendliness
bubber
vsbuster
  • Informal
7 9.9

A friendly name people use to talk to a close friend

is instead used to show annoyance or to warn someone
blighter
vsbuster
  • Offensive
1 9.3

A man or boy people talk about in a slightly annoyed but friendly way

is harsher, often used to express irritation or a warning
that bugger
vsbuster
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who is annoying or causes trouble

is used to show irritation or to warn rather than simple complaint
brasser
vsbuster
  • Slang
9.9

A casual word for a friend, often a man

is more likely to show anger or to warn than casual slang

Compounds

bunker buster
  • Specialized
3 7.9

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

1 8.9

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

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

lung buster
  • Slang
1 8.9

A very hard physical activity that makes you breathe very fast

A person who shows that ideas many people believe are wrong

baby buster
  • Archaic
7.3

A person born after the baby boom when birth rates fell

middle buster
  • Archaic
9.9

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

gut buster
  • Informal
6.7

A very large filling meal that is hard to finish

gut buster
  • Informal
6.1

A very funny joke or show that makes people laugh loudly

thirst-buster
  • Informal
4.0

A cold drink that quickly makes you feel refreshed

Surface Forms

buster singular
busters plural

Morphology

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

The vocative use ('Hey, buster') is derived from the agentive/pejorative sense but functions idiomatically as a form of address, so its meaning is not fully predictable from 'bust'.

Etymology

Buster used to call a man became a sharp, sometimes angry word in old films and speech. It comes from the same bust idea of 'breaking down' or stopping someone, so it often sounds like a warning or scold.