Standard Lemma guide

busted

adj · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈbʌs.tɪd/
  • /ˈbʌs.təd/ weak vowel merger
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ʌstɪd
  • rhymes with -ʌstəd
  • CMU ARPABET: B AH1 S T IH0 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having a certain type of bust (breasts; cleavage).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: often

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Broke; having no money.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang

Examples

  • I'd like to help you, but I'm busted.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Caught in the act of doing something one shouldn't do.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang

Examples

  • I saw you take that cookie from the cookie jar! You're busted!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Extremely ugly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang

Examples

  • She was cute, but all her friends were busted.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Tired.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adj

Meaning 6

Broken.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adj

Meaning 7

Extremely overpowered.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang

Topics: video-games

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

simple past and past participle of bust

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

out of working order (`busted' is an informal substitute for `broken')

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a broken washing machine
  • the coke machine is broken
  • the coke machine is busted

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: broken

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

See bust (Etymology 2)

From bust + -ed. See bust (Etymology 1).

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: platzak — having no money
  • Finnish: rahaton — having no money
  • French: fauché — having no money
  • German: pleite — having no money
  • Italian: al verde — having no money
  • Polish: spłukany — having no money
  • Romanian: lefter — having no money
  • Dutch: gepakt zijn — caught in the act
  • Dutch: erbij zijn — caught in the act
  • Dutch: betrapt — caught in the act
  • Finnish: kärähtää — caught in the act
  • French: pincé — caught in the act
  • French: pris la main dans le sac — caught in the act
  • French: pris sur le fait — caught in the act
  • German: erwischt — caught in the act
  • German: geschnappt — caught in the act
  • German: aufgeflogen — caught in the act
  • Italian: beccato — caught in the act
  • Malay: kantoi — caught in the act
  • Polish: przyłapany — caught in the act
  • Portuguese: flagrado — caught in the act
  • Finnish: mäsänä — broken
  • Finnish: mäskänä — broken
  • Finnish: rikki — broken
  • French: bouzillé — broken