Full of energetic and noisy activity; moving about busily and energetically.
From Middle English 'bustlen' meaning to prepare or make ready, possibly of imitative origin. The sense of energetic movement and activity developed in the 16th century, with the adjective form emerging in the 18th century.
Bustling perfectly captures the sound and energy of busy places - the word itself seems to bustle with its consonant clusters and rhythmic syllables. Interestingly, it's related to the historical garment called a bustle, which added energetic movement to women's skirts when walking.
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