busy

busy

I

bus‧y¹ S1 W2 /ˈbɪzi/ adjective (comparative busier, superlative busiest)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.

II

busy² verb (past tense and past participle busied, present participle busying, third person singular busies) [transitive]
busy yourself with something to use your time dealing with something:
    He busied himself with answering letters.