bust

BUST/ˈbʌst/

Pluralbusts

Verbbusts, busting, busted

23 meanings of bust

Practice

1
statuenouncountable
A statue of a person's head and shoulders.
There is a bust of the old mayor in the town hall.
The museum has busts of many famous writers.
UsageSay a bust of the mayor.
2
breakverbcolloquialUStransitive
To break something, like a toy or a phone.
Don't sit on that chair, or you'll bust it.
My little brother busted my headphones.
UsageSay busted for the past.
Similarbreak, wreck
Oppositefix, repair
3
arrestverbslangtransitive
To arrest one or more people for a crime.
The cops can bust you for driving without a license.
The police busted two men for stealing cars.
UsageSay he got busted for stealing.
Similararrest, nab
4
nounslangcountable
When the police arrest people or suddenly enter a place to stop a crime.
Ten people were arrested in the drug bust.
The police made a big bust at the old warehouse last night.
UsageSay a drug bust.
Similarraid, arrest
5
catch doing wrongverbslangtransitive
To catch someone doing something wrong, often something they are trying to hide.
Teachers often bust kids who use their phones during a test.
Mom busted me eating cookies before dinner.
UsageSay Mom busted me eating cookies.
Similarcatch
Note
6
chest sizenouncountable
The size around a woman's chest, measured over her breasts.
The tailor wrote down her bust, waist and hips.
This dress fits a bust of up to 38 inches.
UsageSay bust, waist and hips.
7
recessionnouncountable
A time when the economy grows weaker after a period of fast growth.
Many people lost their homes in the housing bust.
After the good years came the bust, and many shops closed.
UsageSay boom and bust.
Similarrecession, slump, downturn, depression
Oppositeboom
8
verbslangtransitive
To do something, such as a turn or trick, or to move quickly.
Bust a right at the next corner.
Grandpa busted a few dance moves at the wedding.
UsageSay bust a move for dancing.
Similarmake, take, do
9
no moneyadjectiveslang
Having no money at all, or not able to pay what you owe.
The toy shop went bust last spring.
If we keep spending like this, we'll be bust by Friday.
UsageSay the shop went bust.
Similarbankrupt, broke, insolvent
Oppositesolvent
10
failed playernouncountable
A player who does much worse than people expected.
The new player was a bust and was gone after one year.
Some fans already call the young pitcher a bust.
UsageSay the player was a bust.
Similarflop, disappointment
Note
11
verbtransitive
To show that an idea is wrong or that a strategy does not work.
Let's bust a few myths about sharks.
The show busted the story that the old bridge was haunted.
UsageSay bust a myth.
Similardebunk, dispel, explode, disprove, refute
12
nounslangcountable
Something that fails or is very disappointing.
Our beach day was a bust because it rained the whole time.
The fireworks were a bust this year.
UsageSay the day was a bust.
Similarfailure, flop, fiasco, disaster, dud
Oppositesuccess, hit, triumph
Note

Less common meanings

13
blackjackverbintransitive
In blackjack, to get a score higher than 21.
If you take another card, you might bust.
He had fifteen, took one more card, and busted.
Note
14
knocked out (poker)verbintransitive
In poker, to lose all of your chips.
I bust every time I play poker with my uncle.
She busted in the first hour and had to watch the rest of the game.
UsageSay he busted out.
Note
15
sexual climaxverbslangvulgarintransitive
To let out semen, or other fluid, at the high point of sexual pleasure.
Similarcome, ejaculate
16
lower in rankverbcolloquialUStransitive
To move someone down to a lower rank, for example in the army or police.
He was busted down to private for sleeping on guard duty.
The chief can bust you to a lower rank for being late too often.
UsageSay he was busted down to private.
Similardemote
Oppositepromote
Note
17
pick onverbslangintransitive
To hit, attack, or say rude things to someone, with on before the person.
My brothers bust on me every time I lose a game.
He kept busting on the new kid until a teacher stepped in.
Similartease, mock
18
fire a gunverbslangtransitive
To shoot a gun.
We heard somebody bust a gun two streets over.
Somebody busted a few shots outside the store last night.
Similarfire, shoot
Note
19
wild partynoundatedcountable
A wild party, or a time of having fun with no limits.
When they got paid, the sailors went on a bust for two whole days.
After the big win, the team threw a beer bust at the lake.
UsageSay they went on a bust.
Similarspree, binge, bender
Note
20
chess flawnounslangcountable
In chess, proof that an opening does not work, or that someone's published ideas about a game are wrong.
Her book on the opening sold well until a reader found a bust to it.
A chess computer found the bust in less than a minute.
UsageSay a bust to the opening.
Similarrefutation
Note
21
tame (animal)verbslangtransitive
To train a wild horse or other animal until people can ride or use it.
Her grandpa taught her how to bust a wild horse.
That pony was never busted, so nobody can ride it.
UsageSay bust a horse, with no in after it.
Similarbreak, tame
Note
22
verb
For a headline, to be too long to fit in the space kept for it.
23
verb
To cancel a sale or purchase on a market after it has gone through, often because of a mistake.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of bust apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 2–5, 7–21

It comes from the word burst, said without the “r” sound.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

Bust developed from burst through loss of the r sound. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 1, 6

It came from French and Italian words for the upper body, which probably go back to a Latin word for a tomb.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

Bust came through French and Italian words meaning the upper body. en.wiktionary.org
Latin bustum meant tomb. en.wiktionary.org