dusty

adjective

ˈdə-stē 

dustier; dustiest

1

: covered or abounding with dust

2

: consisting of dust : powdery

3

: resembling dust

4

: lacking vitality : dry

dusty scholarship

5

British : unsatisfactory

—used especially in the phrases dusty answer and not so dusty

dustily

ˈdə-stə-lē 

adverb

dustiness

ˈdə-stē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of dusty

• fine
• powdery

Examples of dusty in a Sentence

He pulled dusty candlesticks from the shelf.

His new tie is a dusty blue.

Recent Examples on the Web

Though astronomers have been studying V445 Puppis for two decades, much of the phenomena associated with it were shrouded in mystery due to a vast cloud of dusty debris that surrounded this nova. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 July 2026

Don’t make changes, and you’re accused of being a dusty, immovable relic that fights to maintain relevancy. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 23 July 2026

The 21st-century Red Sox have won four World Series championships, and Galehouse is just a dusty chapter in Red Sox history. — Steve Buckley, New York Times, 20 July 2026

This year, the Perseid meteor shower is predicted to peak on the night of August 12 into the early morning of August 13, when Earth travels through the most dense and dusty part of the comet debris. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 17 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dusty

• dusty miller

Rhymes for dusty

• crusty
• gusty
• lusty
• musty
• rusty
• trusty

Kids Definition

dusty

adjective

ˈdəs-tē 

dustier; dustiest

1

: filled or covered with dust

2

: resembling dust

dusty soil

dustily

-tə-lē 

adverb

dustiness

-tē-nəs 

noun