a bust

USAGE SUMMARY

"a bust" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is typically used as a noun to refer to a portrayal of a person, especially one that is larger or is made from a substance like marble or bronze. Example: "Queen Victoria was memorialised in a grand marble bust that graced the entryway of the palace."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

A bust?

Independent

What a bust!

The New York Times

They were a bust.

The New York Times - Tech

Is he a bust?

The New York Times

"We had a bust bank.

Independent

What's this about a bust?

The New York Times

6. Abenomics is a bust.

The New Yorker

He could be a bust.

The New York Times - Sports

His plan was a bust.

The New York Times

Will he be a bust?

The New York Times - Sports

Dinner, however, was a bust.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the term in an art context, ensure it is clear you are referring to a head-and-shoulders representation to avoid confusion with the colloquial meaning of failure

Common error

Avoid using "a bust" in extremely formal academic papers to mean failure. While correct in journalism, formal prose should favor terms like "an unsuccessful outcome" or "a deficiency" to maintain a professional tone

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a bust" primarily functions as a noun phrase. In the majority of the examples provided by Ludwig, it acts as a subject complement following a linking verb (e.g., "The move was a bust") or as a direct object. It is a highly polysemous expression, meaning it carries multiple distinct definitions depending on the syntactic environment.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Academia

3%

Social Media

1%

Encyclopedias

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

Linguistic analysis via Ludwig AI confirms that "a bust" is a versatile and correct phrase in modern English. It most frequently appears in News & Media contexts, where it serves two primary functions: describing a total failure (especially in sports or business) or referring to a head-and-shoulders sculpture. Ludwig examples demonstrate its usage in reputable sources like The New York Times and The New Yorker, reinforcing its status as a high-quality idiomatic expression. While it is highly effective for punchy, evaluative writing, authors should be mindful of its colloquial tone in failure-related contexts and ensure clarity when using it in its literal, artistic sense. Overall, "a bust" remains a staple of journalistic English for its brevity and descriptive power.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a failure

Provides a more formal and general way to describe an unsuccessful endeavor

a sculpture

Specifies the physical art object meaning without the colloquial connotation of failure

a flop

Used primarily for commercial or entertainment projects that do not meet expectations

a police raid

Clarifies the law enforcement meaning of the term

a washout

Often used to describe events ruined by circumstances or poor performance

a dud

Informal term for something that fails to work or perform as intended

a debacle

Emphasizes a sudden and ignominious failure or collapse

a disappointment

Focuses on the emotional reaction to a negative outcome

a fiasco

Describes a complete and often humiliating failure

a statue

A broader term for three-dimensional representations, though a bust is specifically head and shoulders

FAQs

How to use "a bust" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe a failed project, such as "The marketing campaign was "a total failure"", or as an art object, like "The museum displayed "a marble bust" of the emperor".

What can I say instead of "a bust" when referring to failure?

Depending on the severity, you could use "a disappointment", "a flop" or "a washout".

What is the difference between "a bust" and "busted"?

"a bust" is a noun phrase used for a failure or an object, while "busted" is usually an adjective or past participle meaning broken or caught doing something wrong.

Is "a bust" appropriate for business writing?

It is common in financial journalism (e.g., "the tech boom turned into "a bust""), but in internal corporate reports, "an underperformance" might be preferred.