Definition of: busy

(biz′ē) adjective bus·i·er, bus·i·est
1. Intensely active; constantly or habitually occupied.
2. Temporarily engaged; not at leisure.
3. Officiously active; prying; meddling.
4. Pertaining to or filled with business.
5. Engaged: said of a telephone line or number.
—v.t. bus·ied, bus·y·ing To make or be busy; occupy (oneself). See synonyms under OCCUPY. [OE bysig active] Synonyms(adj.): active, assiduous, bustling, diligent, employed, engaged, industrious, occupied. Busy applies to an activity which may be temporary, industrious to a habit of life. Diligent indicates also a disposition, which is ordinarily habitual, and suggests more of heartiness and volition than industrious. We say one is a diligent, rather than an industrious reader. The assiduous worker gives patient and unremitting devotion to a task until it is done, or until nothing more can be done. Compare ACTIVE, INDUSTRIOUS, INDUSTRY. Antonyms: dilatory, dull, idle, inactive, indolent, lazy, listless, negligent, remiss, slack, slothful.