bust one's butt

verb

To work exceptionally hard.

“I've been busting my butt getting the tent fixed, while you're just sipping cocoa. Give me a hand.”

Similar
bust one's assbust one's necksweat blood
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Meanings

verbbust one's butt (third-person singular simple present busts one's butt, present participle busting one's butt, simple past and past participle busted one's butt or bust one's butt)

present singular third person busts one's butt · participle present busting one's butt · participle past busted one's butt · past busted one's butt

  1. CanadaUSidiomaticslangvulgarTo work exceptionally hard.

    I've been busting my butt getting the tent fixed, while you're just sipping cocoa. Give me a hand.

    2 more examples

    I have several friends who are public defenders. They are competent, hard working attorneys who bust their butts every day to give these people the best defense available at any price.

    1987 December 13, anonymous author, “Asinine Policy Of Supporting Prisoners”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number 22, page 4

    Those flings, those strings you've got to cut / So get out on the streets, girls, and bust your butts

    1995, Jewel, “Who Will Save Your Soul”, in Pieces of You

    Synonyms: bust one's ass, bust one's neck, sweat blood

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo work exceptionally hard.

Similar
bust one's assbust one's necksweat blood
Also see
bust a nutbust one's assbust one's ballsbust one's neck

Translations

French se casser le cul
  • se casser le culto work exceptionally hard
German den Arsch aufreißen
  • den Arsch aufreißento work exceptionally hard
Italian farsi il culo
  • farsi il culoto work exceptionally hard
Polish wypruwać sobie żyły, wypruć sobie żyły
  • wypruwać sobie żyłyto work exceptionally hard
  • wypruć sobie żyłyto work exceptionally hard
Russian надрыва́ться, паха́ть
  • надрыва́ться (nadryvátʹsja)to work exceptionally hard
  • паха́ть (paxátʹ)to work exceptionally hard
  • рвать жо́пу (rvatʹ žópu)to work exceptionally hard
Spanish romperse el culo, romperse el orto
  • romperse el culoto work exceptionally hard
  • romperse el ortoto work exceptionally hard
Swedish jobba häcken av sig
  • jobba häcken av sigto work exceptionally hard
Turkish kıçını yırtmak
  • kıçını yırtmakto work exceptionally hard
Cite this entry
APA

bust one's butt. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bust%20one's%20butt

MLA

“bust one's butt.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bust%20one's%20butt. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bust one's butt,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bust%20one's%20butt.

Source: bust one's butt on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.