crusty

adjective

ˈkrə-stē 

crustier; crustiest

1

: having or being a crust

2

: giving an effect of surly incivility in address or disposition

crustily

ˈkrə-stə-lē 

adverb

crustiness

ˈkrə-stē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• blunt
• gruff
• abrupt
• short
• outspoken
• brusque
• curt

Choose the Right Synonym for crusty

bluff, blunt, brusque, curt, crusty, gruff mean abrupt and unceremonious in speech and manner.

bluff connotes good-natured outspokenness and unconventionality.

a bluff manner

blunt suggests directness of expression in disregard of others' feelings.

a blunt appraisal

brusque applies to a sharpness or ungraciousness.

a brusque response

curt implies disconcerting shortness or rude conciseness.

a curt command

crusty suggests a harsh or surly manner sometimes concealing an inner kindliness.

a crusty exterior

gruff suggests a hoarse or husky speech which may imply bad temper but more often implies embarrassment or shyness.

puts on a gruff pose

Examples of crusty in a Sentence

a basket of warm, crusty bread

We could see deer tracks in the crusty snow bank.

Recent Examples on the Web

Serve with crusty bread to absorb all of the juices. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025

Best Restaurants Jen’s Artisan Breads Warm, fragrant, and endlessly welcoming, Jen’s Artisan Breads is a local institution known for its crusty sourdoughs, flaky croissants, and mouthwatering breakfast sandwiches. —Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 23 Aug. 2025

Cinderella Man is unalloyed emotional manipulation, and while the cast all dig into the maudlin hooey — Paul Giamatti is especially good as the crusty trainer — nothing here has the spark of real life. —Will Leitch, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025

The gypsum dunes replicate crusty Martian sediment, while frozen ridges offer lessons in ice-regolith interactions. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for crusty

• dusty
• gusty
• lusty
• musty
• rusty
• trusty

Kids Definition

crusty

adjective

ˈkrəs-tē 

crustier; crustiest

1

: having or being a crust

2

: cross entry 3 sense 3

crustiness noun