bust
gb/bˈʌst/ us/bˈʌst/
B1
Inglês
~ 8600
tönkretesz, betör, összetör, elkap, letartóztat, rajtakap, csődbe megy, tönkremegy, razzia, rajtaütés, rendőrségi akció, kudarc, bukás, csalódás, mell, mellbőség, mellszobor, elromlott, rossz, tönkrement, visszaesés, válság, összeomlás
VERBO
B1
INFORMAL
1
Padrão de uso:
to bust [something]
I dropped my phone and completely busted the screen.
Leejtettem a telefonomat, és teljesen összetört a képernyője.
They had to bust the door open to get to the injured man.
Be kellett törniük az ajtót, hogy bejussanak a sérült emberhez.
He busted his knee in the game and had to sit out the season.
The kids busted my favorite lamp while they were playing.
If you keep pressing those buttons, you’re going to bust the remote.
Exemplos para aprendentes
I busted my glasses when I sat on them.
Eltörtem a szemüvegemet, amikor ráültem.
She busted the toy, and now it does not work.
Tönkretette a játékot, és most már nem működik.
He kicked the ball and busted the window.
The pipe busted and water went everywhere.
Do not pull so hard, or you will bust it.
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse "bust" with the more common verb "burst". "Burst" usually means something breaks open from inside pressure (e.g., a balloon bursts), while "bust" in this sense is simply an informal way to say "break" or "damage". Learners also sometimes use it in formal writing, where "break" or "damage" is better.
Significado
Break or badly damage something
Colocações
bust a window
|bust the door
|bust my phone
|bust a pipe
|bust his nose
Sinónimos
break (More general and neutral; used in all kinds of contexts, including formal ones.)
|
smash (Suggests breaking something into many pieces, often violently.)
|
damage (More formal and general, can be physical or non-physical.)
|
wreck (Implies very serious or total damage.)
Antónimos
fix (Means to repair something that is broken or damaged.)
|
repair (More formal term for making something work or look good again.)
Temas
daily life
|objects
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definição
to break or damage something so it does not work well or looks very bad
To break or badly damage something so that it no longer works properly or is in poor condition.
VERBO
B2
INFORMAL
2
Padrão de uso:
to bust [someone] (for [something])
He got busted for driving home drunk.
Elkapták, mert ittasan vezetett hazafelé.
The police busted three men who were selling fake IDs.
A rendőrség három férfit kapott el, akik hamis igazolványokat árultak.
She was busted cheating on the exam and failed the class.
They finally busted the gang that was stealing cars in the area.
If we get busted, we’re all in serious trouble.
Exemplos para aprendentes
The police busted him for selling drugs.
A rendőrség elkapta, mert kábítószert árult.
She got busted stealing from the store.
Rajtakapták, amikor lopott a boltban.
They were busted by security when they tried to get in for free.
He was busted for driving too fast.
If you smoke here, you might get busted.
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes use this verb in formal writing, where "arrest" or "catch" is more appropriate. They may also forget the typical pattern "get busted" in the passive, which is common in spoken English.
Significado
Arrest or catch someone (informal)
Colocações
get busted
|bust someone for drugs
|police busted
|bust a dealer
|bust a gang
Sinónimos
arrest (Standard and neutral legal term; used in formal and informal contexts.)
|
nab (Informal; suggests catching someone suddenly or cleverly.)
|
catch (More general; can also mean notice someone doing something wrong, not always with formal arrest.)
Antónimos
release (Means to let someone go free after holding or arresting them.)
|
acquit (Formal legal term for officially deciding someone is not guilty in court.)
Temas
crime
|law
|core_vocabulary
Definição
to catch and arrest someone, or to catch someone doing something bad
To arrest someone, or to catch someone in the act of doing something illegal or seriously wrong.
VERBO
B2
3
csődbe megy
B1
tönkremegy
B1
Padrão de uso:
to go bust
The restaurant went bust after only six months.
Az étterem mindössze hat hónap után csődbe ment.
Several small banks went bust during the financial crisis.
A pénzügyi válság idején több kisbank is csődbe ment.
If sales keep falling, the company could go bust by the end of the year.
His second startup went bust, but the third one finally succeeded.
They invested in a shop that quickly went bust when a big chain opened next door.
Exemplos para aprendentes
The shop went bust because it had no customers.
Az üzlet csődbe ment, mert nem voltak vásárlói.
Many companies went bust in the bad economy.
A rossz gazdasági helyzetben sok cég csődbe ment.
If we do not get more money, the business will go bust.
Their travel company went bust last year.
He lost his job when the factory went bust.
Erro comum:
Learners may try to use "bust" alone (e.g., *"The company busted") instead of the common phrase "went bust" or "went bankrupt" in standard written English.
Significado
Become bankrupt or fail financially
Colocações
go bust
|almost went bust
|risk going bust
|on the verge of going bust
|went bust last year
Sinónimos
go bankrupt (More formal and legal; commonly used in business and news reports.)
|
collapse (Often used for companies or markets that suddenly fail or close.)
Antónimos
stay solvent (Means to continue to be able to pay debts and operate normally.)
|
thrive (Means to do very well and grow strongly, especially in business.)
Temas
business
|economy
|finance
Definição
for a business or project to lose all its money and stop working, often said as "go bust"
For a business, project, or sometimes a person to lose so much money that it fails, often described in the fixed phrase "go bust".
NOME
B2
INFORMAL
4
Padrão de uso:
a [drug/major] bust
Ten people were arrested in a major drug bust downtown.
Tíz embert letartóztattak egy nagyszabású belvárosi drograzziában.
The bust came after a six-month undercover investigation.
A rajtaütésre egy hat hónapos fedett nyomozás után került sor.
News cameras were there to film the early-morning bust.
In the bust, police seized several guns and a large amount of cash.
The nightclub closed after a high-profile bust last year.
Exemplos para aprendentes
The police made a big drug bust last night.
A rendőrség tegnap este nagy drograzziát tartott.
Five men were arrested in the bust.
A razzia során öt férfit letartóztattak.
The bust was the result of a long investigation.
They showed the bust on the news.
After the bust, the shop never opened again.
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse the noun "bust" (a police operation) with the verb "to bust" (to arrest). Also, this noun is often used with another noun in front, such as "drug bust" or "police bust".
Significado
Police raid or arrest operation
Colocações
drug bust
|major bust
|police bust
|cocaine bust
|multi-million-dollar bust
Sinónimos
raid (A more general term for a sudden attack or entry by police or soldiers.)
|
crackdown (Suggests a strong, often wider campaign against crime, not just one operation.)
|
sting (Focuses on a planned operation to trap people committing a crime.)
Antónimos
amnesty (An official decision to forgive people for crimes, the opposite of targeting them for arrest.)
Temas
crime
|law
Definição
a police action where officers suddenly arrest people, often for drugs or other serious crime
A police operation in which officers suddenly arrest one or more people, especially in cases involving drugs or organized crime.
NOME
B2
INFORMAL
5
Padrão de uso:
[something] is a bust
The concert was a total bust because the main singer got sick.
A koncert teljes kudarc volt, mert a vezető énekes megbetegedett.
Our camping trip was a bust; it rained the whole weekend.
A kempingezésünk kudarcba fulladt; egész hétvégén esett.
The new marketing campaign turned out to be a bust.
The movie was a bust at the box office.
After months of planning, the festival was a bust due to low turnout.
Exemplos para aprendentes
The party was a bust because nobody came.
A buli teljes kudarc volt, mert senki sem jött el.
Our holiday was a bust; the weather was bad.
A nyaralásunk csalódás volt; rossz volt az idő.
The show was a bust and people left early.
His business idea was a bust.
The sale was a bust, and we did not make money.
Erro comum:
Learners may think "bust" here means the police or breasts. In this sense, it simply means a big failure, often used after "was" or "turned out to be".
Significado
Complete failure or disappointment
Colocações
a total bust
|a complete bust
|turned out to be a bust
|the party was a bust
|the trip was a bust
Sinónimos
failure (General and neutral; can be used in formal and informal situations.)
|
flop (Informal; often used for entertainment, like movies or shows, that do badly.)
Antónimos
success (General opposite; something that goes well or does well.)
|
hit (Informal; often used for events, songs, or movies that are very successful.)
Temas
daily life
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definição
something that fails very badly or is not good at all
An event, plan, or effort that fails badly or turns out to be very disappointing.
NOME
B2
6
Padrão de uso:
[someone] has a [size] bust
The dress is too tight around the bust.
A ruha mellben túl szűk.
Her bust measurement is 90 centimeters.
A mellbősége 90 centiméter.
The tailor took her bust, waist, and hip measurements.
The jacket fits in the shoulders but not in the bust.
The size chart includes bust, waist, and hip sizes.
Exemplos para aprendentes
The shirt is too small in the bust.
Az ing mellben túl szűk.
She has a 34-inch bust.
A mellbősége 34 hüvelyk.
The tailor measured her bust and her waist.
You need your bust size to buy this dress.
The coat is wide at the bust but small at the hips.
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with the art meaning (a bust as a sculpture). In clothing and body descriptions, "bust" refers to the front of the upper body, especially breast size.
Significado
Woman’s chest or breast size
Colocações
large bust
|small bust
|full bust
|bust size
|34-inch bust
Sinónimos
chest (More general and neutral, used for men and women; less specific to breasts.)
|
breasts (More direct anatomical word; can sound more clinical or more sexual depending on context.)
Antónimos
flat chest (Describes having very little or no visible breast size, the opposite of a large or full bust.)
Temas
body
|clothing
|health
Definição
the front of a woman’s upper body, especially her breasts, often used when talking about size for clothes
The front part of a woman's upper body, especially her breasts, often referred to when talking about body shape or clothing size.
NOME
C1
7
mellszobor
B2
Padrão de uso:
a bust of [someone]
A marble bust of the king stood in the museum hall.
A múzeumcsarnokban a király márvány mellszobra állt.
The artist was commissioned to create a bust of the famous writer.
A művészt megbízták, hogy készítsen mellszobrot a híres íróról.
The gallery displays several Roman busts along the wall.
They placed a bronze bust of the founder in the lobby.
The sculptor worked for months on the bust before it was finished.
Exemplos para aprendentes
We saw a bust of the president in the museum.
Láttunk egy mellszobrot az elnökről a múzeumban.
The bust shows only his head and shoulders.
A mellszobor csak a fejét és a vállát ábrázolja.
She made a bust of her father from clay.
There is a bust of the poet in the garden.
He wants to buy a bust for his office.
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes think "bust" always means a full statue. A bust shows only the head, neck, and upper chest, not the whole body.
Significado
Sculpture of head and upper chest
Colocações
marble bust
|bronze bust
|a bust of Caesar
|lifelike bust
|carved bust
Sinónimos
sculpture (General word for a three-dimensional artwork; not limited to head-and-shoulders pieces.)
|
statue (Usually refers to a full-body artwork, not just the upper part.)
Antónimos
painting (A flat, two‑dimensional artwork, contrasting with a three‑dimensional bust.)
Temas
art
|history
|arts_entertainment
|education
Definição
a statue that shows only a person’s head, neck, and top of the chest and shoulders
A sculpture that represents a person's head, neck, and the upper part of the chest and shoulders.
C1
INFORMAL
8
Padrão de uso:
[something] is bust
The TV is bust, so we can’t watch the game.
A tévé elromlott, ezért nem tudjuk nézni a meccset.
My watch is bust again; it keeps stopping.
Az órám megint elromlott; folyton megáll.
The elevator’s bust, so we had to walk up ten flights of stairs.
Sorry, the coffee machine is bust at the moment.
Half the lights in the hallway are bust.
Exemplos para aprendentes
My phone is bust, so I cannot call you.
Elromlott a telefonom, ezért nem tudlak felhívni.
The lift is bust, so we must use the stairs.
Elromlott a lift, ezért a lépcsőt kell használnunk.
This old radio is bust now.
The printer is bust and will not print.
Our washing machine is bust again.
Erro comum:
Learners may overuse this in writing. "Bust" as an adjective is informal and more common in spoken English; "broken" is safer in most written contexts.
Significado
Broken or not working (informal)
Colocações
the TV is bust
|completely bust
|phone is bust
|the lift is bust
|it’s all bust
Sinónimos
broken (General and neutral; can be used in both formal and informal contexts.)
|
out of order (Usually used for machines or systems that are not working, especially public equipment.)
Antónimos
working (Means the thing is in good condition and functions normally.)
|
fixed (Means the thing has been repaired and now works again.)
Temas
daily life
|objects
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definição
broken and not working, especially in informal speech
Broken or not working properly because it is damaged.
NOME
C1
9
Padrão de uso:
a [housing/tech] bust
Many people lost their homes in the housing bust.
Sokan elveszítették az otthonukat a lakáspiaci összeomlás idején.
The boom was followed by a painful bust in the early 2000s.
A fellendülést fájdalmas visszaesés követte a 2000-es évek elején.
After the tech bust, investors became more careful.
The region has seen several boom‑and‑bust cycles in the oil industry.
Economists warn that a bust could follow the current stock market surge.
Exemplos para aprendentes
After the boom came a big bust.
A fellendülés után nagy visszaesés következett.
The housing bust hurt many families.
A lakáspiaci visszaesés sok családot sújtott.
The country has a history of boom and bust.
The last bust was ten years ago.
People fear another bust in the market.
Erro comum:
Learners may not see that "bust" here is usually part of the fixed pair "boom and bust" and refers to the bad phase of that cycle.
Significado
Economic downturn after fast growth
Colocações
boom and bust
|housing bust
|dot-com bust
|post-boom bust
|economic bust
Sinónimos
downturn (General word for a period when business or the economy does worse.)
|
recession (More formal economic term for a long, widespread downturn.)
|
slump (Suggests a sudden or deep drop in activity or prices.)
Antónimos
boom (A period of strong growth and high activity in the economy or a market.)
Temas
economy
|business
|finance
Definição
a time when the economy or a market becomes very bad after it was growing fast
A period of serious decline in an economy or market, especially after a previous period of rapid growth or a "boom".
Gramática
Forma de dicionário
bust
IPA
GB/bˈʌst/
US/bˈʌst/
Sílabas e acento
bust (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (bust)
Formas da palavra
Adjective
- Base: bust
Noun
- Base: bust
- Plural: busts
Verb
- Base: bust
- 3rd Person Singular: busts
- Present Participle: busting
- Past: bust, busted
- Past Participle: bust
Família de palavras
Forms
busts
noun
busting
verb
busted
verb
Core family
buster
noun
Destaques
- Irregular past participle: bust Verb
Expressões
bust a move
1/bˈʌst ə mˈuv/
idiom
slang
Start dancing or acting energetically
to begin dancing, or to start doing something with a lot of energy and style
Exemplos
- When the song came on, everyone busted a move on the dance floor.
- Come on, bust a move and show us what you’ve got.
- He finally busted a move and asked her to dance.
bust in
1/bˈʌst ˈɪn/
phrasal verb
informal
Enter or interrupt suddenly
to come into a room or place very quickly and without being polite, often stopping what others are doing
Exemplos
- He just busted in without knocking.
- The police busted in while they were eating dinner.
- Don’t bust in on us when we’re in a meeting.
bust open
1/bˈʌst ˈoʊpən/
phrasal verb
Force something closed to open
to make something that is closed open by using a lot of force, often breaking it
Exemplos
- They busted open the locked box to see what was inside.
- The firemen busted the door open to rescue the family.
- The old suitcase finally busted open on the conveyor belt.
bust out
1/bˈʌst ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
informal
Escape from prison or restriction
to get out of a place where you are kept or not free, especially a prison, often suddenly
Exemplos
- The movie is about a group of inmates who bust out of prison.
- He spent years planning how to bust out.
- They tried to bust out during the night but were caught.
bust up
1/bˈʌst ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
informal
Break or end something forcefully
to break something badly, or to end a fight, event, or relationship by stopping it and separating people
Exemplos
- The police arrived just in time to bust up the fight.
- They busted up the old table and used the wood for a fire.
- She finally busted up with her boyfriend after years of problems.
drug bust
1/dɹˈʌɡ bˈʌst/
fixed phrase
Police operation against drug crime
a planned action by police to catch people with illegal drugs and take the drugs away
Exemplos
- Ten suspects were arrested in a massive drug bust.
- The drug bust shut down a major supply route into the city.
- Photos from the drug bust showed tables covered with seized cocaine.
go bust
1/ɡˈoʊ bˈʌst/
idiom
Become bankrupt or stop trading
to lose so much money that a business or person cannot pay debts and must stop normal business
Exemplos
- Several small shops went bust when the new mall opened.
- If they don’t find new investors soon, the company could go bust.
- The travel agency went bust and customers lost their money.
boom and bust
1/bˈum ˈænd bˈʌst/
idiom
cycle of growth then decline
A repeated cycle where the economy grows very fast and then goes down again.
Exemplos
- The country has gone through several boom and bust cycles.
- The oil industry has always been a story of boom and bust.
- This industry is known for its boom and bust pattern.
- Politicians say they want to end the boom‑and‑bust cycle in housing.
- Better regulation could reduce the effects of boom and bust on small businesses.
- Farmers in the region are used to boom and bust years.
boom or bust
1/bˈum ˈɔɹ bˈʌst/
idiom
informal
either great success or failure
Used when something will either succeed in a very big way or fail completely, with little middle ground.
Exemplos
- For many start-ups, it’s boom or bust in the first few years.
- The project is a boom or bust gamble for the company.
- In that risky market, it’s often boom or bust.
boom or bust
2/bˈum ˈɔɹ bˈʌst/
idiom
Either great success or total failure
a situation where something will either do very, very well or fail very badly, with nothing in between
Exemplos
- For many startups it’s boom or bust within the first few years.
- Investing all your savings in one stock is a boom‑or‑bust strategy.
- It was boom or bust for the small mining town.
bust a gut
1/bˈʌst ə ɡˈʌt/
idiom
informal
Work extremely hard or laugh hard
to work very, very hard, or to laugh so much that your stomach hurts
Exemplos
- They busted a gut trying to finish on time.
- They busted a gut to get the project finished on time.
- He busted a gut studying for the exam.
- Don’t bust a gut over it; it’s not that important.
- The comedian had the whole audience busting a gut with laughter.
bust someone's chops
1/bˈʌst sˈʌmwˌʌnz t͡ʃˈɑps/
idiom
informal
Annoy someone with criticism or nagging
to bother someone by telling them what they did wrong or pushing them to do something, often again and again and sometimes as a joke
Exemplos
- Quit busting my chops; I said I’d finish it by Friday.
- He likes to bust your chops, but he doesn’t mean anything by it.
- My boss has been busting my chops about the report all week.
bust someone's chops
2/bˈʌst sˈʌmwˌʌnz t͡ʃˈɑps/
idiom
slang
bother or pressure someone
To keep criticizing, pushing, or annoying someone, often in a playful or complaining way.
Exemplos
- My boss has been busting my chops all week about this report.
- I'm not trying to bust your chops; I just want you to do your best.
- They love to bust each other's chops, but it's all in good fun.