Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

busy as a bee

/ˈbɪziæzəˈbiː/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.00 in modern English

Syllables: busy as a bee
IPA: /ˈbɪziæzəˈbiː/

17

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

1

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Very active; working constantly.

Example Sentences

"Lord, I have been as busy as a bee ever since dinner!"
"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."
"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."

Etymology

Compare Middle English bisy as bees.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈbɪziæzəˈbiː/

Phrases

busy bee

Frequently Paired Words

busy bee

Synonyms

busy as a beaver busy as a one-armed paperhanger busy as a dyke in a hardware store

Rhymes With

the be he we me she see three free -free big three de

Questions

How do you pronounce busy as a bee?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɪziæzəˈbiː/.
What does busy as a bee mean?: Very active; working constantly.
Where does busy as a bee come from?: Compare Middle English bisy as bees.

How to pronounce busy as a bee

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “busy as a bee”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbɪziæzəˈbiː/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “busy as a bee”.
Repeat and practice — Say “busy as a bee” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.