bust a gut

verb

To work or try very hard.

“I had to really bust a gut to get it done by the deadline.”

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Meanings

verbbust a gut (third-person singular simple present busts a gut, present participle busting a gut, simple past and past participle busted a gut or bust a gut)

present singular third person busts a gut · participle present busting a gut · participle past busted a gut · past busted a gut

  1. slangTo work or try very hard.

    I had to really bust a gut to get it done by the deadline.

    1 more example

    "I do want a railway that reflects the demands of it, but I also want a railway that is busting a gut to put more passengers on."

    2026 July 8, Richard Wilcock, “Temporary service reduction 'only what any clever business would do'”, in RAIL, number 1065, page 8
  2. slangTo develop a pain in the side from laughing hard.

    Something about the way he said that made me just bust a gut: I practically died laughing!

Cite this entry
APA

bust a gut. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bust%20a%20gut

MLA

“bust a gut.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bust%20a%20gut. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bust a gut,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bust%20a%20gut.

Source: bust a gut on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.