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Glite Dictionary
to bustle about

to bustle about

1 4.1
To move around quickly while busy with small tasks
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : moverse
  • Beyond the hall was a large room Roberta could see into, with people bustling about and boxes being moved.
  • bustled about the kitchen
  • people bustle about
  • bustling about, seeming too busy

Examples

  • Vera was highly excited and bustled about without stopping.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Brita bustled about getting everything ready for the arrival of the midwife.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • I watch the people bustle about and wonder if any of them might be on my jury.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • The little old woman bustles about, opens the window, and looks up and down the platform.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Two men were bustling about its deck, gathering up the last of some precious cargo.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The heat wave had begun, but she appeared unaffected as she bustled about her kitchen and living room.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • About two in the morning, the Kailouees, wishing to start early, began to bustle about in the dark in order to collect their camels.

    Academic text (2002)

  • "Did you bring a sweater or coat?" Aunt Jo asked, fanning herself with her apron as she bustled about the warm kitchen.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Surveyors and hardhats bustle about in a vacant lot, a full city block in size, fenced off and strewn with rubble.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • As the event approached, she was bustling about, preparing everything for the guests.

Synonyms

to hustle
vsto bustle about
89 4.2

Move quickly and with energy, often because you are in a hurry

is active without the strong pressure to move quickly
to be active
vsto bustle about
89 1.0

To move your body often by doing exercise or play

is more energetic and task-focused than general activity
to bustle
vsto bustle about
33 4.2

To move quickly and busily while doing many small tasks

is focused on moving around while doing many specific tasks
to run about
vsto bustle about
7 1.4

To move around quickly and energetically without a clear purpose

is active with purpose usually doing tasks rather than wandering
to flurry
vsto bustle about
1 4.6

To move quickly in a worried or confused way

is energetic but calmer and focused on specific tasks

Antonyms

to sit still
66 1.0

Stay seated without moving

to lounge
12 2.7

To sit or lie in a place and relax

How Energetic

to hustle
89 4.2
to dash
73 1.0
to run around
217 1.1
to bustle about
1 4.1
to potter
  • UK
1 6.5

Surface Forms

bustle about infinitive
bustled about past
bustled about past participle
bustling about present participle
bustles about third person singular

Morphology

bustle + about

The meaning 'to move around actively and energetically' is directly derivable from combining 'bustle' (move about energetically) with 'about' (moving around a nearby area), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE sense. This verb+particle composition follows a common, compositional English pattern with clear cross-linguistic parallels, supporting full transparency.

Etymology

Bustle about creates a simple picture: imagine people moving quickly and making a lot of small noise—bustle—all over a room—about—as they hurry to finish things. That's why it means 'to move around actively and energetically'.