bustling
/ˈbʌs(ə)lɪŋ/adjective, noun, verb
bustling is spelled B-U-S-T-L-I-N-G: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 1.4 times per million words in written English, the 23,536th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, bustling means “Busy; full of energy and noisy activity” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in bustling?
| Letters | 8: B-U-S-T-L-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.4 times per million words; the 23,536th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is bustling?
Bustling appears 1.4 times per million words in written English, the 23,536th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce bustling?
- /ˈbʌs(ə)lɪŋ/
Bustling has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-bustling.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of bustling
- more bustling comparative
- most bustling superlative
- bustlings plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bustling mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Busy; full of energy and noisy activity.
bustling marketplace
noun
- 1
A bustle; a busy stir.
the bustlings of waiters in the crowded restaurant
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of bustle
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bustling in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense full of noisy activity:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | animé, trépidant |
| Spanish | ajetreado, trajinante, bullicioso, animado, lleno de movimiento, barullero |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.