Meanings
- idiomaticnot comparablesimileVery active; working constantly.
Lord, I have been as busy as a bee ever since dinner!
1811, Jane Austen, chapter 26, in Sense and Sensibility2 more examples
Heidi ran backwards and forwards as busy as a bee and brought out everything she could find in the cupboard, for she did not know how to be pleased enough that she could help to entertain the doctor.
1872 — Johanna Spyri, Heidi, ch. 16 (translated)There was his father bending over his papers at his writing-table before the window, busy as a bee no doubt at some new enthusiasm which was destined to infuriate his neighbours.
1914, A. E. W. Mason, chapter XVIII, in The Witness for the DefenceSynonyms: busy as a beaver, busy as a one-armed paperhanger, busy as a dyke in a hardware store
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveVery active; working constantly.
Origin
Compare Middle English bisy as bees.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian работлив като пчела
- работлив като пчела (rabotliv kato pčela)working constantly
Czech pilný jako mravenec, pilný jako včelka
- pilný jako mravenecworking constantly
- pilný jako včelkaworking constantly
Finnish häärätä, hyöriä
- häärätäworking constantly
- hyöriäworking constantly
German emsig wie eine Biene
- emsig wie eine Bieneworking constantly
Polish pracowity jak mrówka
- pracowity jak mrówkaworking constantly
Swedish flitig som en myra, flitig som ett bi
- flitig som en myraworking constantly
- flitig som ett biworking constantly
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with busy as a bee
All rhymes →Cite this entry
busy as a bee. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/busy%20as%20a%20bee
“busy as a bee.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/busy%20as%20a%20bee. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “busy as a bee,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/busy%20as%20a%20bee.
Source: busy as a bee on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.