rustle

1 of 2

verb

rus·​tle ˈrə-səl 

rustled; rustling ˈrə-s(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to make or cause a rustle

2

a

: to act or move with energy or speed

b

: to forage food

3

: to steal cattle

transitive verb

1

: to cause to rustle

2

a

: to obtain by one's own exertions

—often used with up

… able to rustle up $5,000 bail …

—Jack McCallum

b

: forage

3

: to steal (livestock) especially from a farm or ranch

rustle

2 of 2

noun

: a quick succession or confusion of small sounds

Synonyms of rustle

Verb

• graze

Examples of rustle in a Sentence

Verb

The trees rustled in the wind.

Her skirt rustled as she walked.

He rustled the papers on his desk.

Noun

He heard a rustle of leaves behind him.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

And, for one entire episode, a gentle breeze rustles the branches of a weeping willow as an inaudible conversation takes place nearby. — Josh Gondelman, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2026

The tree still stood, waiting, but no one visited, no one entered the world under her strong branches, her rustling leaves. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026

Noun

The full textile experience, after all, is multisensory—visual, tactile, and sometimes auditory (think of taffeta’s distinctive rustle). — Leslie Camhi, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2026

Still, Polk’s family found peace there, watching big owls swoop down and falling asleep to the rustle of two acres of trees. — Austyn Gaffney, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English rustelen

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1624, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rustle

• rustle up

Rhymes for rustle

• bustle
• hustle
• muscle
• mussel
• russel
• trussell
• tussle
• mofussil

Kids Definition

rustle

1 of 2 verb

rus·​tle ˈrəs-əl 

rustled; rustling ˈrəs-(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to make or cause to make a rustle

2

: to act or move with energy

3

: to steal (as cattle) from the range

rustler

ˈrəs-(ə-)lər 

noun

rustle

2 of 2 noun

: a quick series of small sounds

the rustle of leaves