overbusy

O1V4E1R1B3U1S1Y4

adjective

Excessively busy; officious.

Similar
busy
OriginMiddle English overbisi →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

adjectiveoverbusy (comparative more overbusy, superlative most overbusy)

comparative more overbusy · superlative most overbusy

  1. Excessively busy; officious.
verboverbusy (third-person singular simple present overbusies, present participle overbusying, simple past and past participle overbusied)

present singular third person overbusies · participle present overbusying · participle past overbusied · past overbusied

  1. transitiveTo busy or involve (oneself) too thoroughly in something.

    Returning to England, he was there imprisoned, some say for overbusying himself in matters of foreign trade.

    1964, Ethel Stephens Arnett, From England to North Carolina: Two Special Gifts, page 59

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivetoo busy

Similar
busy
Also see
busy

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishoverbisi
  2. Englishoverbusy

From Middle English overbisi, equivalent to over- + busy.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

overbusy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overbusy

MLA

“overbusy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overbusy. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “overbusy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overbusy.

Source: overbusy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.