bus‧y 1 S1 W2 / bɪzi / 形容词 ( 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 同义词 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 [名词前不用] 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 [名词前不用] 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 [名词前不用] 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 [名词前不用] 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.