busy oneself

== English == === Pronunciation === enPR: bĭz'i, IPA(key): /ˈbɪz.i/ Hyphenation: bus‧y Rhymes: -ɪzi === Etymology 1 === From Middle English bisy, busie, from Old English bisiġ (“busy, occupied, diligent”), from Proto-West Germanic *bisīg (“diligent; zealous; busy”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian biesich (“active, diligent, hard-working, industrious”), Dutch bezig (“busy”), Low German besig (“busy”). The spelling with ⟨u⟩ represents the pronunciation of the West Midland and Southern dialects while the Modern English pronunciation with /ɪ/ is from the dialects of the East Midlands. ==== Adjective ==== busy (comparative busier, superlative busiest) Crowded with business or activities; having a great deal going on. Synonym: heavy Engaged with or preoccupied by an activity or person. Having much work to do; having much to get done. Near-synonym: swamped Having a lot going on; complicated or intricate. Officious; meddling. ===== Synonyms ===== swamped ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Descendants ===== → Italian: busy ===== Translations ===== ==== Noun ==== busy (plural busies) (slang, UK, Liverpool, derogatory) A police officer. === Etymology 2 === From Middle English bisien, from Old English bisgian (“to occupy, employ, trouble, afflict”), from Proto-West Germanic *bisīgōn. Cognate with Old Frisian bisgia (“to use”). ==== Verb ==== busy (third-person singular simple present busies, present participle busying, simple past and past participle busied) (transitive, usually reflexive) To make somebody busy or active; to occupy. ===== Derived terms ===== bebusy busy around forebusy overbusy unbusy ===== Translations ===== === References === “busy”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “busy”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. === Anagrams === buys == Italian == === Etymology === Borrowed from English busy. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈbi.zi/ Rhymes: -izi Hyphenation: bu‧sy === Adjective === busy (invariable) (neologism) busy (engaged with or preoccupied by an activity or person) === References === == Middle English == === Adjective === busy alternative form of bisy