"bust on" means: To hit or attack (someone); to insult (someone); to snitch on (someone).. It carries a violent or aggressive reference, so it is worth noting the context. In most cases the word is used jokingly or for emphasis rather than as a sign of real intent. A calm question about where it was heard is usually all that is needed; pay more attention to behaviour and tone than to the word itself.
bust on
(US, slang, AAVE) To hit or attack (someone); to insult (someone); to snitch on (someone).
Definitions
US
#1·Apr 26, 2026US
(US, slang, AAVE) To hit or attack (someone); to insult (someone); to snitch on (someone).
For parents
"bust on" means: To hit or attack (someone); to insult (someone); to snitch on (someone).. It carries a violent or aggressive reference, so it is worth noting the context. In most cases the word is used jokingly or for emphasis rather than as a sign of real intent. A calm question about where it was heard is usually all that is needed; pay more attention to behaviour and tone than to the word itself.
For ESL learners
"bust on" means: To hit or attack (someone); to insult (someone); to snitch on (someone).. Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. Note the regional or dialect label (US) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in
Cluster: betray
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US
#2·Apr 26, 2026US
(US, idiomatic) To make a joke concerning; to ridicule or make fun of.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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US
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🎤About Black culture & AAVE slang
Slang from Black American Vernacular English (AAVE), hip-hop, drag and ballroom culture, the Caribbean, and NYC street vocabulary. The single largest source of new mainstream English slang in living memory.
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Other words near "bust on" (B)
busterbustheadbust inbustlebustlusciousbust offbust one's assbust one's buttbust one's humpbust one's neckbust outbust-out man
Browse all slang words starting with B.
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