as in peasant
an awkward or simple person especially from a small town or the country
a rustic who was awed by the prices that city dwellers had to pay
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also rustical
1
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance
rustic yokels whose first impulse was to smirk gawkily at anyone not of their own kind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rural
of, relating to, associated with, or typical of open areas with few buildings or people
a rustic area that has a refreshing lack of billboards and shopping malls
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rustic
Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
This Cyber Monday, Magnolia is offering up to 65% off across its collection of rustic-leaning furniture, home decor, lighting, rugs, tabletop, and more.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 1 Dec. 2025
Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 30 Jan. 2026
Deer print nails give classic polka dots a more rustic, fanciful feel as the precise dots are replaced with freehand splotches.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rustic
Noun
This cabin kit trades a rustic, quaint look for a luxurious bungalow vibe that can be transformed into a guesthouse, an Airbnb, a cabin, a poolhouse, or even an office.
—Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
This Cyber Monday, Magnolia is offering up to 65% off across its collection of rustic-leaning furniture, home decor, lighting, rugs, tabletop, and more.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 1 Dec. 2025
Adjective
A little less rustic but equally inviting, Pimms serves jerk chicken and Caribbean red fish curry next to breezy curtains and soaring arches.
—Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 30 Jan. 2026
Deer print nails give classic polka dots a more rustic, fanciful feel as the precise dots are replaced with freehand splotches.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rustic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rustic
Noun
-
Promoted domestically as a tale of peasant uprising, the film later became a cult curiosity abroad, often mocked for its special effects but recognized as one of the country’s most technically ambitious productions.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Some of us were born black, born from bad classes—the offspring of capitalists, rich peasants, counterrevolutionaries.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
When they’re installed without fixing underlying issues, homeowners can end up disappointed, uncomfortable or paying more than expected.—
Brynn Cooksey,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Lenses can crack, and frames can crack or warp in a way that makes wearing them difficult or uncomfortable.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Cardi’s rendition of the story is set against the backdrop of the opioid crisis on a farm in rural Maine, where Pia and her brother Max live with their strict and controlling father, Leo.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Theaters in rural areas also brought in an outsize 46% of the weekend draw, which is unusually high for an opening.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Marlowe, the son of a poor Canterbury cobbler, and Shakespeare, the son of a Stratford glover and alderman, were both unlikely artistic geniuses, provincials in a nation in which social class was rigidly fixed.—
Heller McAlpin,
Christian Science Monitor,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Sanders is a Catholic priest and former Augustinian provincial in California and lives in the Augustinian community in North Park.—
Gary Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
Chalk the moves up to uneasy investors.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Kelly and King shake things up around the half-hour mark by venturing into the real world, where Grace (Cristin Milioti), the mother of two boys unusually far apart in age, starts being overcome by uneasy feelings about a cold dark void.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Which is to say, this isn’t the story of a greedy, materialistic man who suffers a crisis of conscience while trying to pry a priceless treasure away from an uneducated hick who doesn’t know any better.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Ricky develops romantic feelings for Chad even though Russ plays him as a soft-spoken, possibly dim rural hick who may well be a literal man-child.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Rosenberg is careful to note that this doesn’t require abandoning values or discernment, but recognizing that beneath every expression — skillful, clumsy, or even hurtful — is an unmet need.—
Jasna Hodžić,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The clumsy, confusing rollout of the fees certainly didn’t help — as many residents who were promised a locals discount couldn’t figure out how to tap that benefit.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Clifton loved motorcycles and, as Hawkins said, was a country bumpkin who loved nature.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Ma and Pa Kent are the most stereotypical country bumpkins imaginable.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rustic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rustic. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
