rustier; rustiest
1
: affected by or as if by rust
especially : stiff with or as if with rust
2
: inept and slow through lack of practice or old age
3
a
: of the color rust
b
: dulled in color or appearance by age and use
rusty old boots
4
5
rustily adverb
rustiness noun

rusty

2 of 2

adjective (2)

rus·​ty ˈrə-stē How to pronounce rusty (audio)
rustier; rustiest
chiefly dialectal

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
Adjective
But then, think of finding rusty metal at the site of a new beer garden as a sign of changing times on the city’s riverfront. Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 19 May 2024 Fire escapes look corroded and other metal fixtures such as banisters have been coated to look old or rusty, while walls appear water-stained. Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2024 So what is this rusty brown gossamer of a space cloud? Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 17 May 2024 In contrast to Eagle Clan, this world was rusty red and harsh. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 May 2024 Speaking of 3:10 to Yuma, long before pesky eagles and bloodthirsty ballerina vampires, rusty forks were the bane of your existence. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 May 2024 There’s no Lady Liberty awaiting them, but there is rusty, wrecked battleship that is the equivalent of a Bond villain’s lair. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2024 Leonard logged 35 minutes in his return to the lineup, and the Clippers needed every rusty second. Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 24 Apr. 2024 Though Rihanna's eyes are covered by her translucent brown aviator sunglasses, there's still makeup inspo to be gleaned from this night-out look, notably the shiny rusty red lip gloss. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 12 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rusty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (2)

alteration of restive

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (2)

1694, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rusty was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near rusty

Cite this Entry

“Rusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rusty. Accessed 24 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

rusty

adjective
ˈrəs-tē
rustier; rustiest
1
: affected by or as if by rust
2
: less skilled and slow through lack of practice or old age
3
: of the color rust
rustily
-tə-lē
adverb
rustiness
-tē-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on rusty

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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