rusty

1 of 2

adjective (1)

ˈrə-stē 

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

: outmoded

5

: hoarse, grating

rustily

ˈrə-stə-lē 

adverb

rustiness

ˈrə-stē-nəs 

noun

rusty

2 of 2

adjective (2)

rus·​ty ˈrə-stē 

rustier; rustiest

chiefly dialectal

: ill-natured, surly

Synonyms

Adjective (1)

• antiquated
• archaic
• dated
• démodé
• demoded
• fossilized
• kaput
• kaputt
• medieval
• mediaeval
• moribund
• mossy
• moth-eaten
• neolithic
• Noachian
• obsolete
• out-of-date
• outdated
• outmoded
• outworn
• passé
• prehistoric
• prehistorical
• Stone Age
• superannuated

Examples of rusty in a Sentence

Adjective (1)

rusty laws still on the books because no one bothered to repeal them

in a rusty voice the old man ordered us off his land

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Its stone townhouses and villas are filled with baskets of almonds and lemons, and its narrow alleys are lined with rusty bicycles and wooden chariots, bearing the signs of time. —Emma Bubola, New York Times, 11 June 2024

See the newest discoveries Photos show the rusty 1,000-year-old sword. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 31 May 2024

But lately, there have been a number that look rusty—orange, even. —Bychris Morris, Fortune, 29 May 2024

But then, think of finding rusty metal at the site of a new beer garden as a sign of changing times on the city’s riverfront. —Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 19 May 2024

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

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