/biz"ee/ , adj., busier, busiest , v. , busied, busying .
adj.
1. actively and attentively engaged in work or a pastime: busy with her work.
2. not at leisure; otherwise engaged: He couldn't see any visitors because he was busy.
3. full of or characterized by activity: a busy life.
4. (of a telephone line) in use by a party or parties and not immediately accessible.
5. officious; meddlesome; prying.
6. ornate, disparate, or clashing in design or colors; cluttered with small, unharmonious details; fussy: The rug is too busy for this room.
v.t.
7. to keep occupied; make or keep busy: In summer, he busied himself keeping the lawn in order.
[ bef. 1000; ME busi, bisi, OE bysig, bisig; c. MLG, MD besich, D bezig ]
Syn. 1. assiduous, hard-working. BUSY, DILIGENT, INDUSTRIOUS imply active or earnest effort to accomplish something, or a habitual attitude of such earnestness. BUSY means actively employed, temporarily or habitually: a busy official. DILIGENT suggests earnest and constant effort or application, and usually connotes fondness for, or enjoyment of, what one is doing: a diligent student. INDUSTRIOUS often implies a habitual characteristic of steady and zealous application, often with a definite goal: an industrious clerk working for promotion. 2. occupied, employed, working.
Ant. 1. indolent. 2. unoccupied.