rustier; rustiest
1
: affected by or as if by rust
especially
: stiff with or as if with rust
2
: not as good or quick as usual or as in the past because of lack of practice or use
3
a
: of the color rust
b
: dulled in color or appearance by age and use
rusty old boots
4
: outmoded
rusty jokes
Synonyms of rusty
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Adjective (1)
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
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2026
The sight recalls scenes from environmental disaster movies — an otherwise emerald green surface of river thickly covered with plastic bottles, pieces of wood or furniture, rusty barrels, home appliances or even dead animals.
—Eldar Emric, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Stolarz needed to play at some point, but playing him, in rusty form, was partly to blame for two points lost.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
On the morning of her death, Piper James had gone for a swim alone on the beach near the rusty hull of the Maheno shipwreck, a local landmark that washed ashore in a cyclone almost 100 years ago.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rusty
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Adjective
The inspector noted rusty shelves in the walk-in cooler, a fly strip directly over a food prep area and an employee washing their hands at the warewashing sink.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2026
The sight recalls scenes from environmental disaster movies — an otherwise emerald green surface of river thickly covered with plastic bottles, pieces of wood or furniture, rusty barrels, home appliances or even dead animals.
—Eldar Emric, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Stolarz needed to play at some point, but playing him, in rusty form, was partly to blame for two points lost.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
On the morning of her death, Piper James had gone for a swim alone on the beach near the rusty hull of the Maheno shipwreck, a local landmark that washed ashore in a cyclone almost 100 years ago.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rusty
Cite this Entry
“Rusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rusty. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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