Busy - English meaning

verb

Take in or soak up (energy or a liquid or other substance) by chemical or physical action.

Usage examples:

Buildings can be designed to absorb and retain heat

verb

To take in a liquid, gas, or chemical

Usage examples:

The black clay soil around here doesn’t absorb water very well., fig. the country has absorbed mill…

verb

If an organization absorbs the cost of something, it pays that cost

Usage examples:

The law school has absorbed most of the expenses so far, but it may have to offer fewer places next…

verb

Cause (someone) to find something funny.

Usage examples:

He made faces to amuse her

verb

To keep the attention of someone by entertaining that person

Usage examples:

It’s a relief when your child can amuse herself for a whole hour., his subtle humor amused me., her…

verb

To entertain someone, especially by humorous speech or action or by making them laugh or smile

Usage examples:

I've brought an article from yesterday's paper that i thought might amuse you., [ + obj + to infini…

verb

Charm or enchant (someone), often in a deceptive way.

Usage examples:

He beguiled the voters with his good looks

verb

To charm, attract, or interest, sometimes in order to deceive

Usage examples:

I had to show i was not beguiled by his good looks., a beguiling smile

verb

To persuade, attract, or interest someone, sometimes in order to deceive them

Usage examples:

He was completely beguiled by her beauty., the salesman beguiled him into buying a car he didn't wa…

verb

Cover or fill (something) with an untidy collection of things.

Usage examples:

The room was cluttered with his bric-a-brac

noun

A collection of things lying about in an untidy state.

Usage examples:

The attic is full of clutter

adjective

Untidy, not organized, and covered with a lot of things

Usage examples:

A cluttered desk/room, the floor is cluttered with hoses, tools and buckets.

verb

Relate to; be about.

Usage examples:

The story concerns a friend of mine

noun

Anxiety; worry.

Usage examples:

Carole gazed at her with concern

verb

To trouble someone with feelings of anxiety; worry

Usage examples:

The loss didn’t bother him, but his team’s confidence concerns him., this is an issue that should c…

adjective

Deliberately created rather than arising naturally or spontaneously.

Usage examples:

Here, however, several contrived situations are grafted into the plot to generate artificial tension.

verb

Create or bring about (an object or a situation) by deliberate use of skill and artifice.

Usage examples:

His opponents contrived a cabinet crisis

adjective

Artificial and difficult to believe

Usage examples:

I enjoyed the film, but felt the ending was a bit contrived., his excuse sounded a bit contrived.

verb

Prevent (someone) from concentrating on something.

Usage examples:

Don't allow noise to distract you from your work

Draw someone's attention away from something

verb

To take someone’s attention away from what that person is doing or should be doing

Usage examples:

She liked to work with the radio playing and said it did not distract her., [ u ] it’s impossible t…

verb

Cause (someone or something) to change course or turn from one direction to another.

Usage examples:

A scheme to divert water from the river to irrigate agricultural land

verb

Turn aside; turn away from

verb

To cause something or someone to turn in a different direction

Usage examples:

Our flight was diverted from san francisco to oakland because of the fog., the administration had t…

verb

Give work to (someone) and pay them for it.

Usage examples:

The firm employs 150 people

noun

The state of being employed for wages or a salary.

Usage examples:

I started work in the employ of a grocer

verb

To pay someone to work or do a job for you

Usage examples:

The factory employs 87 workers., jacobs employs this phrase repeatedly.

verb

Occupy or attract (someone's interest or attention).

Usage examples:

He ploughed on, trying to outline his plans and engage sutton's attention

adjective

(of a writer or artist) committed to a particular aim or cause.

Usage examples:

He was determined that his writing and thinking should be engagé

verb

Consume all of one's attention or time

verb

Absorb all the attention or interest of.

Usage examples:

They seemed to be engrossed in conversation

verb

If something engrosses you, it is so interesting that you give it all your attention

Usage examples:

What is it about harry potter that so engrosses children?

verb

Provide (someone) with amusement or enjoyment.

Usage examples:

A tremendous game that thoroughly entertained the crowd

verb

To keep a person or a group of people interested or amused

Usage examples:

[ i ] children’s games and books seek to teach and entertain at the same time., [ t ] kerry and bil…

verb

To take customers or possible customers out to restaurants, bars, theatres, etc. as a way of encouraging them to do business with you

Usage examples:

Employees can use their expense accounts for entertaining a client.

adjective

Regarded or represented as larger, better, or worse than in reality.

Usage examples:

An exaggerated account of his adventures

verb

Represent (something) as being larger, better, or worse than it really is.

Usage examples:

He was apt to exaggerate any aches and pains

adjective

Seeming larger, more important, better, or worse than it really is

Usage examples:

Exaggerated reports of the problem, the slimming effect of wearing black has been greatly exaggerat…

adjective

Having a red or flushed complexion.

Usage examples:

A stout man with a florid face

adjective

Too red, esp. in a way that is unhealthy

Usage examples:

A florid complexion, a florid architectural style, florid prose/speech

adjective

With too much decoration or detail

Usage examples:

A florid architectural style, florid prose/rhetoric

adjective

Fastidious about one's needs or requirements; hard to please.

Usage examples:

He is very fussy about what he eats

adjective

Not easily satisfied or pleased; worried or careful about unimportant details

Usage examples:

She’s really fussy about who she goes out with., kevin’s a fussy eater., my new dress is sophistica…

adjective

Not easily satisfied, or having very high standards about particular things

Usage examples:

All my children were fussy eaters., fussy about he's so fussy about the house - everything has to b…

phrase

Facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty

adjective

Closely pursued.

Usage examples:

The hard-pressed french infantry

adjective

Burdened with urgent business.

Usage examples:

Training centres are hard-pressed and insufficient in numbers

verb

Dip or submerge in a liquid.

Usage examples:

Immerse the paper in water for twenty minutes

verb

To involve someone completely in an activity

Usage examples:

She immersed herself wholly in her work., immerse the egg in boiling water., the course offers tota…

verb

To become completely involved in something

Usage examples:

She got some books out of the library and immersed herself in jewish history and culture.

noun

The feeling of wanting to know or learn about something or someone.

Usage examples:

She looked about her with interest

verb

Excite the curiosity or attention of (someone).

Usage examples:

I thought the book might interest eliot

noun

The feeling of wanting to give your attention to something or of wanting to be involved with and to discover more about something

Usage examples:

I've always had an interest in astronomy., he never seems to show any interest in his children., un…

verb

Have or include (something) as a necessary or integral part or result.

Usage examples:

My job involves a lot of travelling

verb

To include someone or something in an activity

Usage examples:

The accident involved two cars and a truck., the operation involves inserting a small tube into the…

verb

If an activity, situation, etc. involves something, that thing is a part of the activity, etc.

Usage examples:

Research involving the use of biological warfare agents will be used for defensive purposes., [ + -…

verb

Reside or have one's place of business in (a building).

Usage examples:

The rented flat she occupies in hampstead

verb

Live in (a certain place)

verb

(of an army or group of people) to move into and take control or possession of a place

Usage examples:

Nationalist forces now occupy more than 70% of the country., a large couch occupies most of the spa…

adjective

Containing too much careful detail or too many detailed parts

Usage examples:

The book is spoiled by over-elaborate writing., he refused most of the overelaborate meal, saying t…

verb

To add too many details to something, usually in an effort to make it better, or more interesting or exciting

Usage examples:

Don't overembellish your skills or experience on your cv., i have a tendency to over-embellish with…

adjective

Made to seem more impressive or important than is the case; exaggerated or pretentious.

Usage examples:

His most rhetorically overblown screenplay

adjective

Made to seem more important or bigger than what is really true

Usage examples:

As for the wage gap, davis says it's overblown.

adjective

Decorated in an excessively elaborate style.

Usage examples:

Overdecorated victorian hallways

verb

To add too many things, colours, patterns, etc. to an object or place, in an effort to make it more attractive

Usage examples:

People often overdecorate their first house, which they only live in for five years on average., re…

adjective

(of food) overcooked.

Usage examples:

He sat there chewing his overdone steak

verb

Do, use, or carry to excess; exaggerate.

Usage examples:

She rather overdoes the early cockney scenes

adjective

(esp. of meat) cooked too long

Usage examples:

The steak was dry and overdone.

adjective

Too ripe; past its best.

Usage examples:

Overripe tomatoes

adjective

Too ripe and starting to decay

adjective

(of a person) having to work beyond their capacity or strength.

Usage examples:

Overworked nurses do not have time to adequately prepare patients for discharge

verb

Cause (someone) to work beyond their capacity or strength.

Usage examples:

Employers should be aware that overworking their employees comes at a cost

adjective

Having to work too much

Usage examples:

An overworked civil servant, i'm overworked and underpaid., the article was full of overworked expr…

adjective

In a state of nervous excitement or anxiety.

Usage examples:

She was too overwrought to listen to reason

verb

(of a matter or subject) dominate or engross the mind of (someone) to the exclusion of other thoughts.

Usage examples:

His mother was preoccupied with paying the bills

verb

To be the main thought in someone’s mind, causing other things to be forgotten

Usage examples:

The wedding next month preoccupied her., he’s been preoccupied lately because of problems at school.

adjective

Not having enough time to do things

Usage examples:

Increasingly, both men and women in the professional middle classes are work-rich and time-poor.