Busy vs. Active — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Busy and Active
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Definitions
Busy
Having a great deal to do
He had been too busy to enjoy himself
Active
Engaging or ready to engage in physically energetic pursuits
Although he was seventy he was still robust and active
Busy
Excessively detailed or decorated
The lavish set designs are a little too busy
Active
Pursuing an occupation or activity at a particular place or in a particular way
Sexually active teenagers
A politically active student body
Tigers are active mainly at night
The artist was active in the 1920s
Busy
Keep oneself occupied
She busied herself with her new home
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Active
(of a thing) working; operative
The old watermill was active until 1960
Busy
A police officer
I was picked up by the busies for possession
Active
Denoting a voice of verbs in which the subject is typically the person or thing performing the action and which can take a direct object (e.g. she loved him as opposed to the passive form he was loved).
Busy
Engaged in activity, as work; occupied.
Active
An active form of a verb.
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Busy
Characterized by or sustaining much activity
A busy morning.
A busy street.
Active
Being in physical motion
Active fish in the aquarium.
Busy
Being a busybody; meddlesome; prying.
Active
Functioning or capable of functioning.
Busy
Being in use, as a telephone line.
Active
Marked by energetic activity; busy
Active stock and bond markets.
Spent an active day sightseeing.
Busy
Cluttered with detail to the point of being distracting
A busy design.
Active
Involving or requiring physical exertion and energy
An active workout at the gym.
Busy
To make busy; occupy
Busied myself preparing my tax return.
Active
Being in a state of action; not quiescent
Active hostilities along the border.
Busy
Crowded with business or activities; having a great deal going on.
Be careful crossing that busy street.
Active
Erupting or liable to erupt; not dormant
An active volcano.
Busy
Engaged in activity or by someone else.
The director cannot see you now: he's busy.
Her telephone has been busy all day.
He is busy with piano practice.
They are busy getting ready for the annual meeting.
Active
Marked by or involving direct participation
Took an active interest in politics.
Played an active role on the committee.
Busy
Having a lot going on; complicated or intricate.
Flowers, stripes, and checks in the same fabric make for a busy pattern.
Active
Currently in use or effect
An active membership.
Busy
Officious; meddling.
Active
Openly acknowledged or expressed
An active dislike of the new neighbors.
Busy
To make somebody busy or active; to occupy.
On my vacation I'll busy myself with gardening.
Active
Producing an intended action or effect
Active ingredients.
Busy
(transitive) To rush somebody. en
Active
Indicating that the grammatical subject of a verb is performing or causing the action expressed. Used of a verb form or voice.
Busy
A police officer.
Active
Expressing action rather than a state of being. Used of verbs such as run, speak, and move.
Busy
Engaged in some business; hard at work (either habitually or only for the time being); occupied with serious affairs; not idle nor at leisure; as, a busy merchant.
Sir, my mistress sends you wordThat she is busy, and she can not come.
Active
Of or relating to the management of an investment portfolio by continually making investment decisions based on new information as opposed to maintaining a predetermined strategy or reproducing the returns of a market or index.
Busy
Constantly at work; diligent; active.
Busy hammers closing rivets up.
Religious motives . . . are so busy in the heart.
Active
Being a source of electrical energy, as a generator.
Busy
Crowded with business or activities; - said of places and times; as, a busy street.
To-morrow is a busy day.
Active
Capable of converting or amplifying voltages or currents, as a diode or transistor.
Busy
Officious; meddling; foolish active.
On meddling monkey, or on busy ape.
Active
Being on full military duty and receiving full pay.
Busy
Careful; anxious.
Active
The active voice.
Busy
To make or keep busy; to employ; to engage or keep engaged; to occupy; as, to busy one's self with books.
Be it thy course to busy giddy mindsWith foreign quarrels.
Active
A construction or form in the active voice.
Busy
Keep busy with;
She busies herself with her butterfly collection
Active
A participating member of an organization
Union actives.
Busy
Actively or fully engaged or occupied;
Busy with her work
A busy man
Too busy to eat lunch
The line is busy
Active
Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting;—opposed to passive, that receives.
Certain active principles
The active powers of the mind
Busy
Overcrowded or cluttered with detail;
A busy painting
A fussy design
Active
Quick in physical movement; of an agile and vigorous body; nimble.
An active child or animal
Busy
Intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner;
An interfering old woman
Bustling about self-importantly making an officious nuisance of himself
Busy about other people's business
Active
In action; actually proceeding; working; in force
Active laws
Active hostilities
Busy
Crowdedwith or characterized by much activity;
A very busy week
A busy life
A busy street
A busy seaport
Active
Emitting hot materials, such as lava, smoke, or steam, or producing tremors.
Busy
(of facilities such as telephones or lavatories) unavailable for use by anyone else or indicating unavailability; (`engaged' is a British term for a busy telephone line);
Her line is busy
Receptionists' telephones are always engaged
The lavatory is in use
Kept getting a busy signal
Active
Given to action; constantly engaged in action; energetic; diligent; busy
An active man of business
Active mind
Active zeal
Active
Requiring or implying action or exertion
Active employment or service
Active scenes
Active
Given to action rather than contemplation; practical; operative
An active rather than a speculative statesman
Active
Brisk; lively.
An active demand for corn
Active
Implying or producing rapid action.
An active disease
An active remedy
Active
About verbs.
Active
Applied to a form of the verb; — opposed to passive. See active voice.
Active
Applied to verbs which assert that the subject acts upon or affects something else; transitive.
Active
Applied to all verbs that express action as distinct from mere existence or state.
Active
Eligible to be processed by a compiler or interpreter.
Active
(electronics) Not passive.
Active
(gay sexual slang) of a homosexual man enjoying a role in anal sex in which he penetrates, rather than being penetrated by his partner.
Active
A person or thing that is acting or capable of acting.
Active
(electronics) Any component that is not passive. See Passivity (engineering).
Active
Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting; - opposed to passive, that receives; as, certain active principles; the powers of the mind.
Active
Quick in physical movement; of an agile and vigorous body; nimble; as, an active child or animal.
Active and nervous was his gait.
Active
In action; actually proceeding; working; in force; - opposed to quiescent, dormant, or extinct; as, active laws; active hostilities; an active volcano.
Active
Given to action; constantly engaged in action; energetic; diligent; busy; - opposed to dull, sluggish, indolent, or inert; as, an active man of business; active mind; active zeal.
Active
Requiring or implying action or exertion; - opposed to sedentary or to tranquil; as, active employment or service; active scenes.
Active
Given to action rather than contemplation; practical; operative; - opposed to speculative or theoretical; as, an active rather than a speculative statesman.
Active
Brisk; lively; as, an active demand for corn.
Active
Implying or producing rapid action; as, an active disease; an active remedy.
Active
Applied to a form of the verb; - opposed to passive. See Active voice, under Voice.
Active
Chemical agent capable of activity
Active
The voice used to indicate that the grammatical subject of the verb is performing the action or causing the happening denoted by the verb;
`The boy threw the ball' uses the active voice
Active
A person devoted to the active life
Active
Tending to become more severe or wider in scope;
Active tuberculosis
Active
Engaged in or ready for military or naval operations;
On active duty
The platoon is combat-ready
Review the fighting forces
Active
Disposed to take action or effectuate change;
A director who takes an active interest in corporate operations
An active antagonism
He was active in drawing attention to their grievances
Active
Taking part in an activity;
An active member of the club
He was politically active
The participating organizations
Active
Characterized by energetic activity;
An active toddler
Active as a gazelle
An active man is a man of action
Active
Exerting influence or producing an effect;
An active ingredient
Active
Full of activity or engaged in continuous activity;
An active seaport
An active bond market
An active account
Active
In operation;
Keep hope alive
The tradition was still alive
An active tradition
Active
Of the sun; characterized by a high level activity in sunspots and flares and radio emissions
Active
Expressing that the subject of the sentence has the semantic function of actor:
Hemingway favors active constructions
Active
Expressing action rather than a state of being; used of verbs (e.g. `to run') and participial adjectives (e.g. `running' in `running water')
Active
(of e.g. volcanos) erupting or liable to erupt;
Active volcanos
An extinct volcano
Active
Producing activity or change
Active
Engaged in full-time work;
Active duty
Though past retirement age he is still active in his profession
Active
Being in physical motion;
Active fish in the aquarium
Active
Characterized by energetic bodily activity;
Tennis is an active sport
A very physical dance performance
