Synonyms of rusty

rusty

adjective

ˈrə-stē 

1

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

• archaic
• obsolete
• antiquated
• medieval
• old
• prehistoric
• outdated
• mossy
• dated
• outmoded
• antique
• out-of-date
• expired
• useless
• defunct
• discarded
• outworn
• neolithic
• fossilized
• ancient
• moribund
• superannuated
• extinct
• Stone Age
• vintage
• aging
• disused
• moth-eaten
• passé
• unusable
• dead
• démodé
• historic
• historical
• retro
• late
• demoded
• kaput
• obsolescent
• Noachian
• inoperable
• vanished
• aged
• dormant
• fusty
• inert
• unworkable
• musty
• venerable
• latent
• inoperative
• past
• old-fashioned
• idle
• inactive
• former
• hoary
• antediluvian
• old-time
• fallow
• free
• erstwhile
• atavistic
• bygone
• old-world
• oldfangled
• age-old
• dateless

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• modern
• new
• current
• recent
• contemporary
• fresh
• up-to-date
• present-day
• mod
• newfangled
• ultramodern
• modernized
• functional
• operational
• new-fashioned
• workable
• up-to-the-minute
• operable
• functioning
• operating
• refurbished
• active
• renewed
• operative
• busy
• remodeled
• employed
• alive

2

as in hoarse

harsh and dry in sound

in a rusty voice the old man ordered us off his land

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hoarse
• gruff
• husky
• coarse
• scratchy
• gravelly
• raspy
• gravel
• throaty
• grating
• croaky
• rasping
• croaking
• scraping
• choked
• strangled
• strained
• guttural
• abrasive
• rough
• growling
• cracked
• scratching
• grinding
• jarring
• strident
• discordant
• raucous
• cacophonous
• growly
• dissonant
• unmusical
• screeching
• inharmonious
• unmelodious
• squawking
• cawing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• golden
• liquid
• sweet
• gentle
• mellow
• soothing
• mellifluous
• soft
• smooth
• tender
• silken
• velvety
• satiny
• gliding
• musical
• mellifluent
• melodic
• lyrical
• melodious
• lyric
• euphonious

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of rusty

All that was missing from the game was a rusty shiv in the center circle. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 26 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

This is a language skill, and most of us are rusty. — Zak Ali, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026