When you're busy, you have a lot to do and not much free time. A busy day might include school, soccer practice, homework, and helping your parents with dinner. You're moving from one task to the next without much time to relax.

Being busy isn't the same as being rushed or frantic. You can be busy but still calm and organized, checking off items on your to-do list one by one. A busy restaurant has many customers to serve. A busy street has lots of cars and people. A busy pattern on fabric has so many colors and designs that your eyes don't know where to look.

Sometimes people use busy as an excuse: “I'm too busy to help you.” When someone says they're busy, they're really saying they've already decided how to spend their time. A librarian might look busy reshelving books, but still make time to help you find what you need.

The phrase busy as a bee describes someone working hard and constantly, inspired by how bees never seem to stop moving as they collect pollen and make honey.