noun phrase🎓 English idiom

hustle and bustle

busy, energetic activity in a place

What it means

Hustle and bustle refers to the lively, sometimes overwhelming activity of a busy place — crowds moving, noise, errands being run, traffic flowing. It usually has a slightly affectionate or atmospheric tone, often used in contrast to somewhere quieter.

Examples

  • I love visiting the city, but I'm always glad to escape the hustle and bustle.
  • The market was full of the hustle and bustle of Saturday shoppers.
  • After the hustle and bustle of the holidays, January feels strangely quiet.
  • She moved to a small village to get away from the hustle and bustle of London.

Where it comes from

Both 'hustle' (to shove or move briskly) and 'bustle' (energetic activity) emerged in the 1700s; the rhyming pair was in common use by the 1800s.

Related idioms

#rough and tumble#back and forth#ups and downs#ins and outs

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