busy

CEFRA1

/ˈbɪz.i/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Having a lot to do or being full of activity.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Engaged with or preoccupied by an activity or person.

Examples

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

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

At a glance

Sits at A1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
2

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Having much work to do; having much to get done.

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

  3. Having a lot going on; complicated or intricate.

More examples

In context

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

  • Her telephone has been busy all day.

  • The director cannot see you now: he's busy.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

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

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

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.