Hustle

/ˈhʌs.əl/

Meaning & Definition

noun

Energetic activity or effort, often in pursuit of a goal.

The hustle of city life can be exhausting yet exciting.

A scheme or fraud to obtain money or goods quickly.

The street performer had a hustle down pat to collect tips.

verb

To move or act energetically and rapidly; to rush or hurry.

We need to hustle to get to the meeting on time.

To obtain something by forceful or aggressive means; to push oneself to get ahead.

She had to hustle her way to the top of the corporate ladder.

To engage in deceitful or fraudulent activities for monetary gain.

He was known to hustle people out of their money with con games.

Early 19th century; possibly from Dutch 'husselen' meaning 'to toss, shake'.

hustle and bustle

A phrase referring to busy and noisy activity.

hustle up

To hurry or move quickly.

give it a hustle

To put in extra effort or urgency to accomplish a task.

hustler

A person who works hard, especially in an aggressive or opportunistic manner.

bustle

To move around in a busy, energetic way.

grind

To work hard continuously over a period of time.

To hustle in the context of business means to aggressively pursue opportunities.

She really knows how to hustle in her career.

To hustle someone can mean to con or trick them.

Don’t let him hustle you out of your money.