dustier; dustiest
Synonyms of dustynext
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 adverb
dustiness noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Robert Pattinson jumped on the dusty-pink trend, strapping on a Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre Chronograph Moon with a copper-colored dial for the New York premiere of The Drama. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 11 Apr. 2026 Across the river in Mexico, men hawk rides in their dusty pick-ups, on horseback or by donkey, to take tourists three-quarters of a mile up a dirt road. Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026 Post-Apollo, images of space travel were characterized by launching space shuttles, Erector Set-like space stations and Mars rovers crossing a dusty landscape. Jennifer Levasseur, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2026 The Earth Tone Collection currently offers several neutral colors—desert sand, warm beige, dune taupe, washed khaki, dusty olive, soft clay, muted terracotta and light stone—and the clients can create other custom colors. Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dusty

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dusty was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dusty. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

dusty

adjective
dustier; dustiest
1
: filled or covered with dust
2
: resembling dust
dusty soil
dustily adverb
dustiness noun

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