bust one's chops

verb

To exert oneself.

“I've been busting my chops to get this out by the end of today.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

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

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

  1. idiomaticinformalTo exert oneself.

    I've been busting my chops to get this out by the end of today.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
bust one's ass
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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