bustling with
3
3.6
- idiom
:
bullicioso con
- On Saturday mornings, the cafe is bustling with people enjoying coffee and pastries.
- bustling with activity
Examples
-
Down by the river, the wharves were bustling with activity.
Fiction book (1990) -
The deck was bustling with activity as the islanders prepared to go ashore.
Fiction book (2001) -
The streets should have been bustling with tourists.
-
The rooms are large, and the view over the plaza is bustling with activity.
Blog text (31) -
Sam and Carl, laughing, walk through a large office area bustling with activity.
Fiction book (1990) -
The buffet is bustling with passengers and train workers.
Fiction book (1997) -
The site was bustling with activity when I arrived on a shimmering hot January morning.
Academic text (2006) -
Pictures by Robert Lyons show an Africa that is bright and bustling with people who are intriguing and distinct.
Academic text (2000) -
Once prolific and bustling with people, they are now alone, isolated, discarded to the elements.
Blog text (17) -
The kitchen is bustling with cooks and busboys. Mason moves toward the side exit.
Fiction book (1996)
Synonyms
18
4.7
Loud and energetic, like a happy crowd or party
14
3.7
Very full and crowded with almost no space
12
5.3
Full of excited noise, like people talking or bees
9
4.1
Full of busy, noisy activity and many people
5
9.9
Lively and exciting, like a busy party or club
2
6.0
Lively and full of fun, making people laugh
1
7.3
Very noisy and full of lively activity
1
4.8
Full of lively activity and excitement that attracts people
1
4.7
Full of many living things, often moving about
Full of lively energy because people feel excited
Showing lively, happy energy
Loud and lively in a wild way
Antonyms
How Busy
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'bustling' (lively, busy) combined with the preposition 'with' (indicating accompaniment or being filled by) transparently yields the meaning 'full of energetic activity or people.' This adjective + with construction is a regular, cross-linguistically common pattern (e.g., ‘full of’), so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Bustling with comes from the verb bustle, which creates a clear image of people moving quickly, talking, and making a lot of activity in one place. So when a place is bustling with people or stalls, it means it is 'full of busy activity'.