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
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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
Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 2026
Despite the bucolic setting, Genestra’s cooking is more about technical artistry than rustic home truths.
—Paul Richardson, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 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
But true to its rustic name, this rendition asks for just 20 minutes.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 2026
Despite the bucolic setting, Genestra’s cooking is more about technical artistry than rustic home truths.
—Paul Richardson, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rustic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rustic
Noun
-
Let the peasants squabble amongst themselves about the refs and how unfair life is.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
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Pair them with boots, peasant tops, lightweight sweaters, and more.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Both works, critics say, display uncomfortable stereotypes that have been used to marginalize their respective Jewish and gay populations for a very long time.—
David Colman,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Feb. 2026
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Because in hindsight, there was a lot of luck that played into the public’s preparations for this storm, with forecasters in the uncomfortable position of rapidly ratcheting up their warnings with precious little preparation time to spare.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The rural comedy ran for a year on Broadway, closing in January 2024.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
22 Feb. 2026
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The average wait time is four months, though seniors in more rural areas have been required to wait for as long as two years.—
Wendy Coschignano-Ford,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 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
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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
-
That has trading partners uneasy.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Now, marquee names like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo have gotten into the game, creating an uneasy juxtaposition as other players have bemoaned the effects of gambling and verbal assault from fans.—
Mike Vorkunov,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 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
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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
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That makes the killers kind of human and fallible and clumsy, and these movies get a lot of mileage out of the slapstick shenanigans of their slasher chases.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
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Then, however, Phillips was sent off four minutes into the second half for a clumsy lunge at Svante Ingelsson, and suddenly Wednesday believed.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2026
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
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Clifton loved motorcycles and, as Hawkins said, was a country bumpkin who loved nature.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rustic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rustic. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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