1
art
: a sculptured representation of the upper part of the human figure including the head and neck and usually part of the shoulders and breast
has a bust of Abraham Lincoln in his office
2
: the upper part of the human torso between neck and waist
especially
: the breasts of a woman
her bust size
busted also bust; busting
1
a
: to break or smash especially with force
bust a window
also
: to make inoperative
busted my watch
b
: to bring an end to : break up
helped bust trusts—
Newsweek
—often used with upNewsweekbetter not try to bust up his happy marriage—Forbes
Forbes
c
: to ruin financially
the game of cheaters, which has busted more men than blackjack—Arthur Mayse
Arthur Mayse
e
: to tease or give a hard time to
—often used in phrases like bust one's chops
I'm just busting your chops.
2
: tame
bronco busting
3
: demote
busted them to the bottom of the seniority list—Time
Time6
informal
: to execute or perform (a difficult, elaborate, or acrobatic movement, as when dancing)
bust a dance move
Hot Hot Heat's jittery, caffeinated rhythms and disco grooves are helping persuade punk kids to bust a move …—Christian Hoard
Christian Hoard1
: to go broke
2
a
: burst
laughing fit to bust
b
: break down
Her camera busted.
3
a
card games
: to lose at cards by exceeding a limit (such as the count of 21 in blackjack)
b
poker
: to fail to complete a straight (see straight entry 4 sense 3) or flush
1
a
: spree
b
: a hearty drinking session
a beer bust
2
a
: a complete failure : flop
b
economics
: a business depression (see depression sense 2)
boom and bust
4
law enforcement, slang
a
: a police raid (see raid entry 1 sense 2b)
b
: arrest sense 1
made a couple of drug busts
Examples of bust in a Sentence
Verb
He busted his watch when he fell.
I think the camera is busted.
Police busted 12 gang members on weapons charges.
She got busted for drug possession.
Two students got busted by the teacher for smoking in the bathroom.
Noun (2)
delivered a bust to the boxer's chops
the first movie was a hit, but the sequel was an unexpected bust
those lowlifes were nabbed for drug dealing in a massive bust last month
a bunch of underage kids having a beer bust while the parents were away for the weekend
Recent Examples on the Web
Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
On the drive to the fields, Jenn Pedranti compliments Shannon on the fulsome abundance of her bust today.
—Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
Thom Harris, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Officials said the migrants are from Senegal, Mali and Guinea and were busted for allegedly selling counterfeit items in the area.
—Greg Norman , Alexis McAdams , Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
John Werner, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The top is incredibly stretchy and would accommodate a variety of bust sizes.
—Dory Zayas, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bust
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
The spacer cups support and subtly lift your bust.
—Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
On the drive to the fields, Jenn Pedranti compliments Shannon on the fulsome abundance of her bust today.
—Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
His goal to seal the win against Italy — a lung-busting run and cultured finish in the dying moments — helped to illustrate the impressive engine at the heart of Cremaschi’s game.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Officials said the migrants are from Senegal, Mali and Guinea and were busted for allegedly selling counterfeit items in the area.
—Greg Norman , Alexis McAdams , Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
But experts who study market history are carefully attuned to boom and bust cycles and the inevitable volatility in nearly any market.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The top is incredibly stretchy and would accommodate a variety of bust sizes.
—Dory Zayas, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bust
Cite this Entry
“Bust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bust. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bust
1 of 3 noun1
: a piece of sculpture representing the upper part of the human figure including the human head and neck
2
: the upper part of the human body
especially
: the breasts of a woman
bust
2 of 3 verb
busted also bust; busting
1
a
: to break or smash with force
busted my watch
b
: to bring an end to : break up sense 2
c
: to ruin or become ruined financially
d
: exhaust entry 1 sense 1b, wear sense 3c
—used in phrases like bust one's butt to describe the act of trying very hard
2
: to tame an animal
bust a bronco
3
: demote
4
buster
noun
bust
3 of 3 nounEtymology
Noun
from French buste "head and shoulders sculpture," from Italian busto (same meaning), from Latin bustum "tomb"
Verb
an altered form of burst
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