Definition: keep busy with
Usage: She busies herself with her butterfly collection
Similar words: work
Definition: exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
Usage: I will work hard to improve my grades; she worked hard for better living conditions for the poor
Synonyms: busy
Definition: crowded with or characterized by much activity
Usage: a very busy week; a busy life; a busy street; a busy seaport
Similar words: active
Definition: full of activity or engaged in continuous activity
Usage: an active seaport; an active bond market; an active account
Synonyms: busy
Definition: actively or fully engaged or occupied
Usage: busy with her work; a busy man; too busy to eat lunch
Similar words: at work
Definition: on the job
Usage: had been at work for over an hour before her boss arrived
Similar words: drudging, laboring, labouring, toiling
Definition: doing arduous or unpleasant work
Usage: drudging peasants; the bent backs of laboring slaves picking cotton; toiling coal miners in the black deeps
Similar words: engaged, occupied
Definition: having ones attention or mind or energy engaged
Usage: she keeps herself fully occupied with volunteer activities; deeply engaged in conversation
Similar words: overbusy
Definition: too busy
Similar words: tied up
Definition: kept occupied or engaged
Usage: she's tied up at the moment and can't see you; the phone was tied up for almost an hour
Similar words: up to
Definition: busy or occupied with
Usage: what have you been up to?; up to no good
Synonyms: meddlesome, meddling, interfering, officious, busy, busybodied
Definition: intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner
Usage: an interfering old woman; bustling about self-importantly making an officious nuisance of himself; busy about other people's business
Similar words: intrusive
Definition: tending to intrude (especially upon privacy)
Usage: she felt her presence there was intrusive
Synonyms: engaged, in use, busy
Definition: (of facilities such as telephones or lavatories) unavailable for use by anyone else or indicating unavailability; (`engaged' is a British term for a busy telephone line)
Usage: her line is busy; receptionists' telephones are always engaged; the lavatory is in use; kept getting a busy signal
Similar words: occupied
Definition: held or filled or in use
Usage: she keeps her time well occupied; the wc is occupied
Definition: overcrowded or cluttered with detail
Usage: a busy painting; a fussy design
Similar words: fancy
Definition: not plain; decorative or ornamented
Usage: fancy handwriting; fancy clothes