rustic 1 of 2

noun

Definition of rusticnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rustic

2 of 2

adjective

ˈrə-stik How to pronounce rustic (audio)
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

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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

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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
Adjective
Inside, a large stone fireplace connects an open-plan living area and dining room; there’s wood paneling everywhere, and more than one piece of rustic log furniture to really cement that cabin feel. — Lindsay Cohn, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026 His creator, an unnamed basket-weaver (Peter Dinklage), braided him as a mate for a lonely virgin, a fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) who stomps around her rustic village smelling like sushi and tossing her head back in an Eliza Doolittle guffaw. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 This simple rustic tray was a fan favorite during October Prime Day. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Oct. 2026 Leaving the skins on can add color and texture, especially in rustic desserts. — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rustic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rustic
  1. peasant
  2. uncomfortable
  3. rural
  4. provincial
  5. uneasy
  6. hick
  7. clumsy
  8. bumpkin
Noun
  • Happy peasants, miserable millionaires Graham first spotted the pattern in China.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • In the shadow on the ground, your back bowed out unflatteringly, like a peasant’s hump.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of peasant
Adjective
  • Pryor taught me that comedy can be dangerous, uncomfortable, and still bring down the house.
    — Emma Specter, Vogue, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Speaking from experience, the right footwear can transform an uncomfortable ensemble into something actually functional, warm, and totally worth wearing.
    — Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of uncomfortable
Adjective
  • Federal investigation now underway Emergency personnel from multiple agencies responded to the crash site, where wreckage from both helicopters was scattered across a rural field.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The Organization and Guidance Department, the party’s most powerful agency, oversees appointments, inspections, and discipline everywhere—in Pyongyang as well as rural villages.
    — Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of rural
Noun
  • The district elected a Western Canada Concept separatist in a 1982 provincial by-election.
    — Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of provincial
Adjective
  • But bond markets are already uneasy with Brazil's growing debt-to-GDP ratio, and are likely to demand an ever-higher premium if public spending rises significantly.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The effort is backed by an uneasy alliance between the right-wing Make America Healthy Again movement and progressives, both motivated by concerns over food safety.
    — Elijah Wolfson, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of uneasy
Noun
  • When Johnson was vice president and visiting Europe, there were reports filed by these British ambassadors in several countries that basically made fun of him as a hick.
    — Wendy Naugle, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
  • So a bunch of hicks from Topeka were left up to our own devices of going down to Robert Hall and finding something that might be kind of cool.
    — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of hick
Adjective
  • As Ivan and Nina wrestle with their own emotional truths, which range from her mother Nora’s departure from their lives to Ivan’s clumsy recitations of Nina’s childhood antics, something alarming is afoot.
    — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Here, his clumsy, winky, affected, and self-undercutting direction can’t even work the charming Jenna Ortega to a great performance, as her Klara is flattened into a bundle of manic pixie mannerisms both physical and verbal.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of clumsy
Noun
  • Simply put, the small-town bumpkins from North Florida who support this idea should be made to pay for it.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Clifton loved motorcycles and, as Hawkins said, was a country bumpkin who loved nature.
    — Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Definition of bumpkin

Browse Nearby Words

rusted
rustic
rusticity
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Cite this Entry

“Rustic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rustic. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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