dustier; dustiest
Synonyms of dustynext
1
: covered or abounding with dust
2
: consisting of dust : powdery
3
: resembling dust
4
: lacking vitality : dry
dusty scholarship
5
British : unsatisfactory
used especially in the phrases dusty answer and not so dusty
dustily adverb
dustiness noun

Examples of dusty in a Sentence

He pulled dusty candlesticks from the shelf. His new tie is a dusty blue.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The book’s occasional oases of self-examination are surrounded by dusty expanses of omission and unconcern. Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2025 This was the new dope, combining the dusty digging-in-the-crates mindset of the Natives Tongues hip hop crew and vintage R&B vocals distilled by the gospel roots of his rural Richmond church upbringing. Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 12 Dec. 2025 The extreme heat, extensive periods of drought, and seemingly endless dry, dusty expanses peppered with spiky plants form a landscape that is seductive and romantic. Von Diaz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Dec. 2025 This meteor shower is active every December, when Earth passes through a massive trail of dusty debris shed by a weird, rocky object named 3200 Phaethon, NASA said. Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dusty

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dusty was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dusty. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

dusty

adjective
dustier; dustiest
1
: filled or covered with dust
2
: resembling dust
dusty soil
dustily adverb
dustiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dusty

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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