busty
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
All four words describe a woman with a larger chest, but they differ in tone and scope. 'Busty' is the most direct and casual; it focuses only on the bust and can feel objectifying, so it is mostly used in fashion, fiction, or playful talk. 'Buxom' sounds slightly old-fashioned and warmer, suggesting a full figure together with a cheerful, healthy look — you might read it in a historical novel: 'a buxom innkeeper laughed behind the bar.' 'Full-figured' is the politest of the four, often used by clothing brands; it covers the whole body, not just the chest, as in 'a clothing line for full-figured women.' 'Well-endowed' is a quiet euphemism that hints at the same idea without naming the body part, and it can sound suggestive in adult contexts.
Etymology
Formed in English in the late 1800s by adding the adjective ending '-y' to 'bust', meaning a woman's chest. The noun 'bust' came into English from French 'buste' and Italian 'busto' in the 1600s, first used for sculpted head-and-shoulders portraits, then later for the upper part of a woman's body and clothing. So 'busty' literally means 'having a noticeable bust'. The word has always belonged to informal speech rather than scientific or medical writing.