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Mawson, C.O.S., ed. (1870–1938). Roget’s International Thesaurus. 1922.

Class V. Words Releasing to the Voluntary Powers
Division (I) Individual Volition
Section III. Voluntary Action
1. Simple Voluntary Action

682. Activity.

   NOUN:ACTIVITY; briskness, liveliness &c. adj.; animation, life, vivacity, spirit, verve, pep [slang], dash, go [colloq.], energy; snap, vim.
  SMARTNESS, nimbleness, agility; quickness &c. adj.; velocity [See Velocity]; alacrity, promptitude; dispatch or despatch, expedition; haste [See Haste]; punctuality (early) [See Earliness].
  EAGERNESS, zeal, ardor, enthusiasm, perfervidum ingenium [L.], empressement [F.], earnestness, intentness; abandon [F.]; vigor (physical energy) [See Energy]; devotion (resolution) [See Resolution]; exertion [See Exertion].
  INDUSTRY, assiduity; assiduousness &c. adj.; sedulity [rare], sedulousness; laboriousness; drudgery (labor) [See Exertion]; painstaking, diligence; perseverance [See Resolution]; indefatigation [obs.]; businesslike habits, habits of business.
  VIGILANCE [See Care]; wakefulness; sleeplessness, restlessness; insomnia; pervigilium, insomnium [L.]; racketing.
  BUSTLE, hustle [colloq.], movement, stir, fuss, ado, bother, fidget, fidgetiness; flurry (haste) [See Haste].
  OFFICIOUSNESS; dabbling, meddling; interference, interposition, intermeddling; butting in [slang], horning in [slang], intrusiveness, minding others’ business, not minding one’s own business; tampering with, intrigue.
  PRESS OF BUSINESS, no sinecure, plenty to do, a great deal doing [colloq.], a lot going on [colloq.], many irons in the fire, great doings, busy hum of men, the madding crowd, the thick of things, battle of life, thick of the action.
  MAN OF ACTION, busy bee; new broom; sharp fellow, blade; devotee, enthusiast, fanatic, zealot, hummer [slang], hustler [colloq.], humdinger [slang, U. S.], rustler [slang, U. S.]; live wire, human dynamo [both colloq.], live man [U. S.].
  MEDDLER, intermeddler, intriguer, intrigant or intriguant, telltale, busybody, pickthank [archaic].
   VERB:BE ACTIVE &c. adj.; busy oneself in; stir, stir about, stir one’s stumps [colloq.]; bestir -, rouse- oneself; speed, hasten, peg away, lay about one, bustle, fuss; raise -, kick up- a dust; push; make a -fuss, – stir; go ahead, push forward; fight -, elbow- one’s way; make progress [See Progression]; toil (labor) [See Exertion]; moil, drudge, plod, persist (persevere) [See Resolution]; keep up the ball; keep the pot boiling.
  look sharp; have all one’s eyes about one (vigilance) [See Care]; rise, arouse oneself, hustle [colloq.], push [colloq.], get up early, be about, keep moving, steal a march, catch a weasel asleep, kill two birds with one stone; seize the opportunity [See Occasion]; lose no time, not lose a moment, make the most of one’s time, not suffer the grass to grow under one’s feet, improve the shining hour, make short work of; dash off; make haste &c. 684; do one’s best, take pains (exert oneself) [See Exertion]; do -, work- wonders; have a lot of -kick [colloq.], – pep [slang].
  have many irons in the fire, have one’s hands full, have much on one’s hands; have other -things to do, – fish to fry; be busy; not have a moment -to spare, – that one can call one’s own.
  HAVE ONE’S FLING, run the round of; go all lengths, stick at nothing, run riot.
  OUTDO; overdo, overact, overlay, weigh down, overshoot the mark; make a toil of a pleasure.
  HAVE A HAND IN (act in) [See Action]; take an active part, put in one’s oar, have a finger in the pie, mix oneself up with, trouble one’s head about, intrigue; agitate.
  MEDDLE, tamper with, intermeddle, interfere, interpose; obtrude; poke -, thrust- one’s nose in; butt in, horn in [both slang].
   ADJECTIVE:ACTIVE, brisk, – as a lark, – as a bee; lively, animated, vivacious; alive, – and kicking [colloq.]; frisky, spirited, stirring.
  nimble, – as a squirrel; agile; light-footed, nimble-footed; featly tripping.
  QUICK, prompt, yare [archaic], instant, ready, alert, spry [colloq. & dial.], sharp, smart; fast (swift) [See Velocity]; capable, smart as a steel trap, no sooner said than done (early) [See Earliness]; quick as a lamplighter, expeditious; awake, broad awake; go-ahead, live [U. S.], hustling [colloq.]; wide-awake (intelligent) [See Intelligence. Wisdom].
  FORWARD, eager, ardent, strenuous, zealous, enterprising, in earnest; resolute [See Resolution].
  INDUSTRIOUS, assiduous, diligent, sedulous, notable [obsoles. in this sense], painstaking; intent (attention) [See Attention]; indefatigable (persevering) [See Resolution]; unwearied, never weary, sleepless, unsleeping, never tired; plodding, hardworking [See Exertion]; businesslike.
  BUSTLING; restless, – as a hyena; fussy, fidgety, pottering; busy as a hen with one chicken.
  WORKING, at work, on duty, in hairness; up in arms; on one’s legs, at call; up and -doing, – stirring; laboring, workday, workaday.
  BUSY, occupied; hard at work, hard at it; up to one’s ears in, full of business; busy as a -bee, – housewife.
  MEDDLING &c. v.; meddlesome, pushing, officious, overofficious, intrigant [F.].
  ASTIR, stirring; agoing, afoot; on foot; in full swing; eventful; on the alert (vigilant) [See Care].
   ADVERB:ACTIVELY &c. adj.; featly [archaic]; with life and spirit, with might and main [See Exertion], with haste [See Haste], with wings; full tilt, in mediis rebus [L.].
   INTERJECTION: be -, look- -alive, – sharp! move on! push on! keep moving! go ahead! stir your stumps! [colloq.]; age quod agis! [L.], jaldi! [Hind.], jaldi karo! [Hind.], step lively!    QUOTATIONS:

Carpe diem (opportunity) [See Occasion].

Nulla dies sine lineâ.—Pliny

Nec mora nec requies.—Vergil

The plot thickens.

Veni vidi vici.—Suetonius

Abends wird der Faule fleissig.

Dictum ac factum.—Terence

Schwere Arbeit in der Jugend ist sanfte Ruhe im Alter.

The busy hum of men.—Milton

They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.—Bible

Life, not the daily coil, but as it is Lived in its beauty in eternity.—Masefield

Contents -AUTHOR INDEX -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD