hustle

Hustle is a term with multiple related meanings that center on energy, effort, and urgency. As a verb, hustle commonly means to move quickly or to push or drive something or someone to speed up. It can also mean to work hard and persistently toward a goal, often with a sense of urgency or assertiveness. In sports and daily life, to hustle describes showing energy, speed, and determination.

As a noun, hustle can refer to the act of hustling—the busy, energetic activity or bustle of people and tasks. It can also denote a scheme to obtain money or other benefits through deception, typically described as a hustle or hustling activity; a person who engages in such schemes is called a hustler. The word carries both neutral and negative associations depending on context.

In cultural usage, hustle can reflect both admirable traits and riskier behavior. Positive connotations include entrepreneurial grit, self-motivation, and resilience in pursuing opportunities. Negative senses involve swapping legality for expediency, scams, or coercive pressure. The phrase hustle culture describes a social phenomenon that prioritizes continuous work and productivity, sometimes at the expense of balance and well-being.

The Hustle also appears in music and dance. The Hustle is a 1975 disco song by Van McCoy that spawned a popular dance form. The term is sometimes linked to phrases like hustle and bustle, which describe busy, crowded activity. Overall, hustle encompasses a range of energetic, goal-oriented actions, along with occasional implications of deceit in certain contexts.