to proceed or work rapidly or energetically

to hustle about putting a house in order.

to push or force one's way; jostle or shove.

to be aggressive, esp. in business or other financial dealings.

Slang . to earn one's living by illicit or unethical means.

Slang . (of a prostitute) to solicit clients.

to convey or cause to move, esp. to leave, roughly or hurriedly

They hustled him out of the bar.

to pressure or coerce (a person) to buy or do something

to hustle the customers into buying more drinks.

to urge, prod, or speed up

Hustle your work along.

to obtain by aggressive or illicit means

He could always hustle a buck or two from some sucker.

to beg; solicit.

to sell in or work (an area), esp. by high-pressure tactics

The souvenir venders began hustling the town at dawn.

to sell aggressively

to hustle souvenirs.

to jostle, push, or shove roughly.

Slang . to induce (someone) to gamble or to promote (a gambling game) when the odds of winning are overwhelmingly in one's own favor.

Slang . to cheat; swindle

They hustled him out of his savings.

Slang .

(of a prostitute) to solicit (someone).

to attempt to persuade (someone) to have sexual relations.

to promote or publicize in a lively, vigorous, or aggressive manner

an author hustling her new book on the TV talk shows.

energetic activity, as in work.

discourteous shoving, pushing, or jostling.

Slang .

an inducing by fraud, pressure, or deception, esp. of inexperienced or uninformed persons, to buy something, to participate in an illicit scheme, dishonest gambling game, etc.

such a product, scheme, gambling game, etc.

Informal . a competitive struggle

the hustle to earn a living.

a fast, lively, popular ballroom dance evolving from Latin American, swing, rock, and disco dance styles, with a strong basic rhythm and simple step pattern augmented by strenuous turns, breaks, etc.

verb

dally , delay , procrastinate , slow , wait

verb

apply oneself , be conscientious , bulldoze * , bustle , elbow , fly , force , haste , hasten , hotfoot * , impel , jog , press , push , race , rush , shove , speed , thrust , use elbow grease , accelerate , expedite , hurry , quicken , step up , bolt , bucket , dart , dash , festinate , flash , fleet , flit , pelt , rocket , run , sail , scoot , scour , shoot , sprint , tear , trot , whirl , whisk , whiz , wing , zip , zoom , deceit , drive , fraud , hie , jostle , move , scramble , solicit

noun

enterprise , initiative , punch , celerity , dispatch , expedition , expeditiousness , fleetness , hurry , quickness , rapidity , rapidness , speed , speediness , swiftness