rustic

1 of 2

adjective

rus·​tic ˈrə-stik 

variants or less commonly rustical

ˈrə-sti-kəl 

1

: of, relating to, or suitable for the country : rural

rustic rolling farmland

2

a

: made of the rough limbs of trees

rustic furniture

b

: finished by rusticating

a rustic joint in masonry

3

a

: characteristic of or resembling country people

b

: lacking in social graces or polish

4

: appropriate to the country (as in plainness or sturdiness)

heavy rustic boots

rustically

ˈrə-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

rusticity

ˌrə-ˈsti-sə-tē 

noun

rustic

2 of 2

noun

1

: an inhabitant of a rural area

2

a

: an awkward coarse person

b

: an unsophisticated rural person

Synonyms

Adjective

• awkward
• clumsy
• gauche
• graceless
• inelegant
• rough-hewn
• stiff
• stilted
• uncomfortable
• uneasy
• ungraceful
• wooden

Noun

• bumpkin
• chawbacon
• churl
• clodhopper
• cornball
• countryman
• hayseed
• hick
• provincial
• rube
• yokel

Examples of rustic in a Sentence

Adjective

The inn has a rustic atmosphere.

rustic yokels whose first impulse was to smirk gawkily at anyone not of their own kind

Noun

a rustic who was awed by the prices that city dwellers had to pay

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Director Giovanna Sardelli is a terrific storyteller, and in this case, her artistry works hand-to-glove with Nina Ball’s beautifully rustic scenic design. —David John Chávez, Mercury News, 28 June 2025

Madison Park Signature Beckett Turned Spindle Nightstand This nightstand adds rustic charm to bedrooms. —Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 27 June 2025

Noun

Then comes lunch, a multi-course celebration of Piedmontese cooking—rich, savory, and a little rustic, paired with wines that taste even better when someone else has chosen them for you. —Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025

Classical Rudersdal, Denmark, situated beside Copenhagen and along the open coast, exists in a perpetual tug-of-war between the rustic and the modern. —Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English rustik, from Latin rusticus, from rus open land — more at room

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

rustic

1 of 2 adjective

rus·​tic ˈrəs-tik 

: of, relating to, or suitable for the country or country people : rural

rustically

-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

rusticity

ˌrəs-ˈtis-ət-ē 

noun

rustic

2 of 2 noun

: a person living or raised in the country