How do you use the word "busy" in a sentence?

Q: How do you use the word "busy" in a sentence?

Here are real-life examples of using "busy": They are too busy fighting against each other to care for common ideals. Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.

Busy Meaning

/ˈbɪz.i/

Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Definition

adjCrowded with business or activities; having a great deal going on.

adjEngaged with or preoccupied by an activity or person.

Sentence Examples

They are too busy fighting against each other to care for common ideals.

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.

You needn't bother asking Rick—I know he's too busy.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

fancy occupy engaged

Antonyms:

plain idle

CEFR Practice Quiz

Since the restaurant was extremely ____, we had to wait thirty minutes for a table.

CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)

I am very ____ this week, so I cannot meet you for lunch today.

Word Origin & History

From Middle English bisy, busie, from Old English bisiġ (“busy, occupied, diligent”), from Proto-West Germanic *bisīg (“diligent; zealous; busy”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian biesich (“active, diligent, hard-working, industrious”), Dutch bezig (“busy”), Low German besig (“busy”). The spelling with ⟨u⟩ represents the pronunciation of the West Midland and Southern dialects while the Modern English pronunciation with /ɪ/ is from the dialects of the East Midlands.

Literary Quotations & Historical Citations

"To-morrow is a busy day." — c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:

"Although they had but that moment left the school behind them, they were now in the busy thoroughfares of a city, where shadowy passengers passed and repassed; where shadowy carts and coaches battled for the way, and all the strife and tumult of a real city were.[…]They left the busy scene, and went into an obscure part of the town, where Scrooge had never penetrated before, although he recognised its situation, and its bad repute." — 1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “(please specify the page number)”, in A Christmas Carol. […], London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC:

"With hours to go before their labor contract expired, longshoremen on the East and Gulf Coasts prepared on Monday to go on strike at midnight, halting most activity at some of the busiest U.S. ports." — 2024 September 30, Peter Eavis, “Counteroffers Exchanged in Effort to Avert U.S. Dock Strike”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 01 Oct 2024:

"And the first thing I did was to lay by a certain quantity of provisions, being the stores for our voyage; and intended in a week or a fortnight’s time to open the dock, and launch out our boat. I was busy one morning upon something of this kind, when I called to Friday, and bid him to go to the sea-shore and see if he could find a turtle or a tortoise, a thing which we generally got once a week, for the sake of the eggs as well as the flesh. But to return to Friday; he was so busy about his father that I could not find in my heart to take him off for some time; but after I thought he could leave him a little, I called him to me, and he came jumping and laughing, and pleased to the highest extreme: then I asked him if he had given his father any bread." — 1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC:

"After walking several miles in a leisurely manner, and too busy to know anything about it, they found at last, on examining their watches, that it was time to be at home." — 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], Pride and Prejudice: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:

Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words