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
Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
As the last rusty leaves fell from the trees in the parks and historic piazzas, the birds swooped down, rummaging and pecking and shaking their feathers, then flew off again with quivers of delight.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Dotted with log cabins, the interiors of Dunton Hot Springs are warm and distinctly Western—old rusty trucks and wagons serve as decorative accents throughout the property.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 22 Jan. 2026
If your pan turns dull, rusty, or discolored, reseason it.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rusty
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Adjective
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
As the last rusty leaves fell from the trees in the parks and historic piazzas, the birds swooped down, rummaging and pecking and shaking their feathers, then flew off again with quivers of delight.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Dotted with log cabins, the interiors of Dunton Hot Springs are warm and distinctly Western—old rusty trucks and wagons serve as decorative accents throughout the property.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 22 Jan. 2026
If your pan turns dull, rusty, or discolored, reseason it.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 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 27 Jan. 2026.
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