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 The lower part of work table in front of walk-in cooler is broken and rusty. — Nwa Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026 In the season opener, a visibly rusty Mahomes gave way to spotlight Walker, who set a career-high with 173 rushing yards, including a 60-yard touchdown on a fourth-down play. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026 After an extremely rusty outing on Monday, the Hawks still needed time to warm up. — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Frazier, who had become world champion during Ali’s absence, handed the ring-rusty Ali the first loss of his professional career. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rusty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rusty

Adjective

In addition, the belief that hip-hop artists are required to acquiesce and musically circumscribe themselves to appease mainstream audiences is archaic in many respects.

— Preezy Brown, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2026
In addition, the belief that hip-hop artists are required to acquiesce and musically circumcise themselves to appease mainstream audiences is archaic in many respects.

— Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of archaic

Adjective

His voice sounded hoarse from his marathon of back-to-back rallies ahead of Election Day.

— Shahrzad Rasekh Patrick Cooley Mark Bonamo Kevin Williams, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Now life was like that; some days fine and firm and full of whatever, while other days the hoarse bark of the neighbors’ dog or a friend’s grim diagnosis and her body succumbed to an emotional gravity that pulled her into a free fall.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of hoarse

Adjective

For Picasso, the new was power; its will to render obsolete what came before was as irresistible as a force of nature.

— Michael Brenson, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2026
Houses were rebuilt over the remains of earlier houses, incorporating old walls and materials into new construction; basilicas became churches and churches became mosques; obsolete city walls and fortifications became boulevards and promenades.

— Julian Rose, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of obsolete

Adjective

Loneliness looms as a threat to all genders, but men, who are lauded for gruff stoicism and scorned for vulnerability, can be especially ill-equipped to navigate atomization.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
His reputation for having a gruff demeanor, Sweet says, is accurate, but attack ads that portray him as antagonistic toward women go too far.

— Julia Terruso, Time, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of gruff

Adjective

According to firefighters, the department’s flood response was also limited by an antiquated dispatch system.

— Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
Plaintiffs challenging the prohibition on home distilling claim the 1868 law is an antiquated relic of Reconstruction-era politics.

— Michael Kunzelman, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of antiquated

Adjective

Gomez, who has a noticeably husky, raspy voice at times, answered a fan question about her vocal quirkiness during an Instagram Live session last December.

— Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2026
Her husky voice made Pugh, as an up-and-comer, seem wise beyond her years in breakout roles as a Machiavellian teenage bride in Lady Macbeth and an actor turned spy in The Little Drummer Girl.

— Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of husky

Adjective

Think medieval meets modern--less clunky Louis XVIth and more comfy armchair, with Kingsdown mattresses that are simply divine.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026
Following the Black Death in medieval Europe, memento mori, symbolic reminders of death’s inevitability, further ubiquitized skulls in art and architecture.

— Livia Caligor, Architectural Digest, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of medieval

Browse Nearby Words

rusts

rusty

rut

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Rusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rusty. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of rusty

adjective

Example Sentences

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