Busily

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Involved in a state of activity that requires significant concentration and effort in tasks or duties
2. In a manner showing focused and energetic effort on tasks or activities
3. Demonstrating continuous and lively engagement in work or actions

Etymology: "Busily" is simply "busy" with the adverbial ending "-ly" added, and its history in English is a plain one. The adjective "busy" came first, and the adverb was formed from it in Middle English, appearing in forms such as "busily," "busiliche," "bisili," and "bisiliche." The spelling variety in those early forms shows how writers were still settling on a stable shape for the word. The "-ly" ending is the same suffix found in countless English adverbs, such as "quickly" or "softly," which turns an adjective describing a quality into one describing the manner of an action. So "busily" describes doing something in a busy way, with the activity and effort that the adjective implies.

Synonyms: actively, diligently

Antonyms: leisurely, idly