busy

I. bus‧y¹ S1 W2 /ˈbɪzi/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative busier, superlative busiest)
[Language: Old English; Origin: bisig]
1. PERSON if you are busy, you are working hard and have a lot of things to do:
She’s busy now – can you phone later?
a busy mother of four
busy with
Mr Haynes is busy with a customer at the moment.
busy doing something
Rachel’s busy studying for her exams.
There were lots of activities to keep the kids busy.
2. TIME a busy period of time is full of work or other activities:
December is the busiest time of year for shops.
a busy day
He took time out of his busy schedule to visit us.
3. PLACE a busy place is very full of people or vehicles and movement:
We live on a very busy road.
4.TELEPHONE especially American English if a telephone you are calling is busy, it makes a repeated sound to tell you that the person you are calling is talking on their telephone SYN engaged British English:
I called Sonya, but her line was busy.
I keep getting a busy signal.
5. PATTERN a pattern or design that is busy is too full of small details – used to show disapproval
• • •
THESAURUS
■ person
▪ busy if you are busy, you have a lot of things you need to do: Sorry I haven’t called you, but I’ve been really busy. | a busy housewife | Angela was becoming more and more unhappy, but her husband was too busy to notice. | Not now Stephen, I’m busy. | Alex is busy studying for his exams.
▪ rushed/run off your feet [not before noun] especially British English spoken very busy and in a hurry, because you have too many things to do: We’ve been absolutely rushed off our feet getting ready for our son’s birthday party.
▪ snowed under [not before noun] especially British English so busy that you can hardly deal with all the work you have to do: I can’t stop for lunch today – I’m completely snowed under. | We’ve been snowed under with applications for the job.
▪ up to your ears/neck in something [not before noun] informal extremely busy because you have a lot of work to deal with: Teachers say they are up to their ears in paperwork and don’t have enough time for teaching.
▪ tied up [not before noun] busy in your job, so that you cannot do anything else: I’m sorry, but he’s tied up at the moment. Could you call back later? | I can’t see you tomorrow: I’m tied up all day.
▪ have a lot to do especially spoken to have to do a lot of things, so that you need to hurry or work hard: Let’s get started – we have a lot to do.
▪ have a lot on British English, have a lot going on American English especially spoken to be busy, especially because you have arranged to do a lot of things during a particular period: I’ve got a lot on this weekend. | He says he’ll try and see you as soon as possible, but he has a lot going on this afternoon.
■ time
▪ busy use this about times when you have a lot of things you need to do: We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow. | July and August are our busiest times.
▪ hectic a hectic time or situation is extremely busy, so that you are always in a hurry and often feel excited or worried: It was really hectic at work today. | The band had a hectic recording schedule.
▪ the rush hour the time in the morning and evening when a lot of people are travelling to or from work: The buses are so crowded during the rush hour you never get a seat. | In most British cities the rush hour does not start until about 8 o'clock.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

busy

busy [busy busies busied busying busier busiest] adjective, verb [ˈbɪzi] [ˈbɪzi]

adjective (busier, busi·est)

DOING STH
1. having a lot to do; perhaps not free to do sth else because you are working on sth
• Are you busy tonight?
• I'm afraid the doctor is busy at the moment. Can he call you back?
• I'll be too busy to come to the meeting.
• The principal is a very busy woman.
• She was always too busy to listen.
• a very busy life

• ~ with sth/sb Kate's busy with her homework.

2. ~ (doing sth) spending a lot of time on sth
• James is busy practising for the school concert.
• Let's get busy with the clearing up.

• They were busy enjoying themselves at the party.

PLACE

3. full of people, activity, vehicles, etc
• a busy main road

• Victoria is one of London's busiest stations.

PERIOD OF TIME

4. full of work and activity
• Have you had a busy day?
• This is one of the busiest times of the year for the department.

• We had a busy weekend lined up.

TELEPHONE

5. (especially NAmE) being used
Syn: engaged
• The line is busy— I'll try again later.

• the busy signal

PATTERN/DESIGN

6. too full of small details
• This wallpaper is too busy for the bedroom.
Word Origin:
Old English bisgian (verb), bisig (noun); related to Dutch bezig, of unknown origin.
Thesaurus:
busy adj.
1.
• The principal is a very busy man.
active • • hard-pressed • • occupied • • at work • • involved • |formal engaged •
busy/occupied/involved with sth
active/occupied/involved/engaged in sth
keep sb busy/active/occupied/involved
2.
• a busy airport
crowded • • full • • packed • • crammed • |approving lively • |approving, written bustling • • vibrant • |disapproving overcrowded • • congested •
busy/crowded/packed/crammed/bustling with people
a/an busy/crowded/lively/bustling/overcrowded place/town/market/bar
the place/town/market/bar is full/packed
3.
• a busy time of year
hectic • • full • • eventful •
Opp: quiet
a/an busy/hectic/full/eventful day/weekend/week/life
a/an busy/hectic/full programme/schedule/timetable
Busy, hectic or full? Busy is the most general of these words. Full often describes a period of time, especially sb's life, that is busy in a good way. Hectic usually describes a period of time or an activity that is too busy.
Collocations:
Phones
Making and receiving phone calls
the phone/telephone rings
answer/pick up/hang up the phone/telephone
lift/pick up/hold/replace the receiver
dial a (phone/extension/wrong) number/an area code
call sb/talk (to sb)/speak (to sb) on the phone/telephone; from home/work/the office
make/get/receive a phone call
take the phone off the hook (= remove the receiver so that the phone does not ring)
the line is (BrE) engaged/ (especially NAmE) busy
the phones have been (NAmE) ringing off the hook (= ringing frequently)
put sb through/get through to the person you want to speak to
put sb on hold (= so that they must wait for the person they want to speak to)
call from/use a landline
Mobile/cell phones
be/talk on a (both BrE) mobile phone/mobile/(especially NAmE) cell phone/(informal, especially NAmE) cell
use/answer/call (sb on)/get a message on your mobile phone/mobile/cell phone/cell
switch/turn on/off your mobile phone/mobile/cell phone/cell
charge/recharge your mobile phone/mobile/cell phone/cell
a mobile/cell phone is on/is off/rings/goes off
(BrE) top up your mobile (phone)
send/receive a text (message)/an SMS (message)/a fax
insert/remove/change a SIM card
Example Bank:
• I've got enough work to keep you busy.
• She needed to keep busy.
• She was busy with her make-up.
• Have you had a busy day?
• I'm afraid the doctor is busy at the moment. Can he call you back?
• Let's get busy with the clearing up.
• Victoria is one of London's busiest stations.
• We have to cross a busy main road to get to school.
Idioms: as busy as a bee ▪ keep yourself busy