bust
To break, smash, or burst something open.
Also called busted.
Updated September 21, 2026
bust pronunciation
/BUST/
Meaning
Working-class Southern talk for break or burst. A hose busts. A knuckle gets busted on a wrench. Somebody busts open a bag of feed. Same idea as break, but it hits harder and sounds like shop talk, not a repair manual.
How folks use it
- “That radiator hose busted halfway to town.”
- “Don't lean on that chair or you'll bust the leg.”
Origin and etymology
Bust started as an r-dropping pronunciation of burst in older dialect English. Burst once also meant smash or break, so bust kept that sense. By the 1800s it was common American informal speech, and it still rides hard in rural Southern mouths.
Frequently asked questions
Is bust the same as burst?
Close kin. Burst is the standard spelling for explode or split open. Bust is the everyday break-it version you hear in the yard and the shop.