RUSTY Synonyms: 158 Similar and Opposite Words

rusty

adjective

ˈrə-stē

Definition of rusty

as in archaic

having passed its time of use or usefulness rusty laws still on the books because no one bothered to repeal them

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hoarse

harsh and dry in sound in a rusty voice the old man ordered us off his land

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 rusty Williams both looked rusty and like herself across the course of the match, but a late comeback was not enough to stay the 20-year-old Joint. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 1 July 2026 Your neighbors probably won't be bothered by your weedy flower beds or rusty lawn furniture. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 June 2026 If cinema is a sinking vessel, as so many are eager to suggest, its rusty hull may yet contain treasures worth scraping off and scrutinizing anew. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 June 2026 In a second portrait, the supermodel wears a rusty orange dress accessorized with earrings and a necklace from the jeweler’s newfangled Margherita Bloom range. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for rusty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rusty

Adjective

Many of them had the notion that Homer should sound archaic, perhaps because a lot of translations created their own ornate anachronistic English that had nothing to do with the language of the epics.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Tamil itself is no less a political construction, with public discourse and education carried out in a self-consciously archaic form of the language only half-intelligible to many speakers of its multifarious vernaculars.

— Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

Definition of archaic

Adjective

The other was a tearing beauty, a creature so lovely that one look at her sent young men’s blood pressure skyward and set them to uttering wild, hoarse cries and tearing telephone directories apart with the bare hands.

— John Madson, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026
Others walked home sunburned, hoarse and still dressed in blue and orange.

— C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 18 June 2026

Definition of hoarse

Adjective

As vehicles age, OE on-board hardware becomes obsolete as cellular providers replace older technology and automakers stop investing in aging back-end stacks and features.

— Michael Harley, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026
Congress empowered this group of experts because its leadership recognized obsolete military bases needed to be closed or consolidated but individual lawmakers would inevitably block any changes to protect their home state facilities.

— Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of obsolete

Adjective

Matt Damon plays Odysseus as a gruff, practical tactician, rather than an energetically inventive and morally dubious schemer.

— Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
The New Zealander drew international acclaim for roles as gruff loners and unhinged villains.

— Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 13 July 2026

Definition of gruff

Adjective

Tyler, after a brief recovery period, returned to the recording studio with a huskier, edgier voice.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
The extravagant, hi-NRG single showcased the breadth of Tyler’s husky grandeur, which proved a perfect fit for Giorgio Moroder.

— Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026

Definition of husky

Adjective

In medieval literature the dragon’s refusal to share its wealth symbolizes chaos, greed, and the social harm caused when valuable resources are removed from circulation.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026
The town served as a Genoese naval outpost during the medieval rivalry with Pisa, and the hotel’s arched colonnades of the original cloister still stand atop rooms that face Palmaria Island or the Gulf itself.

— Jason Phillips, USA Today, 22 July 2026

Definition of medieval

Adjective

Unlike my original e-bike, the Huffy includes metal fenders, a metal chain guard, and a battery that can charge in or out of the bike - all for a third of the price of my old bike.

— William Roberson, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Tyler James Feehan shared memories of the 25-year-old who was killed on July 17 as a result of Iranian strikes on Jordan.

— Arpita Dasika, CNN Money, 22 July 2026

Definition of old

Browse Nearby Words

rusts

rusty

rut

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“Rusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rusty. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of rusty

adjective

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