rustier; rustiest
1
: affected by or as if by rust
especially : stiff with or as if with rust
2
: inept and slow through lack of practice or old age
3
a
: of the color rust
b
: dulled in color or appearance by age and use
rusty old boots
4
5
rustily adverb
rustiness noun

rusty

2 of 2

adjective (2)

rus·​ty ˈrə-stē How to pronounce rusty (audio)
rustier; rustiest
chiefly dialectal

Examples of rusty in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Kung Fu Panda 4 The moves are getting a bit rusty, but there's still plenty of fun. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 Another unique trait: While nesting the cranes will paint their feathers with the rusty, clay soil to better camouflage themselves and protect their young. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024 Change can be rusty and gritty at the start but can also become smooth running through and through. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Water falling back to the moon as well as more that seeps up through the cracks in the ice produce rusty red stains on portions of the surface. TIME, 12 Feb. 2024 The men scoop the wiggling fish into a rusty container. Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2024 The Yolo County recycle barn doesn’t have the money or manpower to fix up items, such as repairing rusty bikes or repainting old furniture. Marjorie Kirk, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024 But then her eyes dropped to the worn pavement, rusty tiles and peeling paint of the nearly 60-year-old facility that has been home to some of the most famous U.S. swimmers and coaches in history. Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2024 On one canvas, Weiner has painted an all-encompassing aquamarine spiral that moves toward a tiny half-moon at the center; hung next to it at Red Arrow will be its fiery twin — a mirror-image spiral rendered in a rusty red. Caitie Kelly Kin Woo Kate Guadagnino Nicole Demarco Megan O’Sullivan, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rusty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (2)

alteration of restive

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (2)

1694, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rusty was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near rusty

Cite this Entry

“Rusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rusty. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rusty

adjective
ˈrəs-tē
rustier; rustiest
1
: affected by or as if by rust
2
: less skilled and slow through lack of practice or old age
3
: of the color rust
rustily
-tə-lē
adverb
rustiness
-tē-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on rusty

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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