rustier; rustiest
1
: affected by or as if by rust
especially : stiff with or as if with rust
2
: inept and slow through lack of practice or old age
3
a
: of the color rust
b
: dulled in color or appearance by age and use
rusty old boots
4
5
rustily adverb
rustiness noun

rusty

2 of 2

adjective (2)

rus·​ty ˈrə-stē How to pronounce rusty (audio)
rustier; rustiest
chiefly dialectal

Examples of rusty in a Sentence

Adjective (1) rusty laws still on the books because no one bothered to repeal them in a rusty voice the old man ordered us off his land
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.
Adjective
Meslier’s reputation and morale are not ready for an immediate recall, while Alex Cairns would have been another risky, rusty option as the third-choice stopper. Beren Cross, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025 Overall, the gecko has a pinkish cream hue with rusty orange and brown markings. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025 Concrete floor and walls, old secondhand rusty metal shelving to store her things, and an old curb-find kitchen table as a desk. Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025 In the universe of this show, is it considered normal behavior to travel back to your hometown and huff ether with your childhood co-worker before the two of you make out in the rusty old hospital bed where your mother died? Brian Grubb, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rusty

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (2)

alteration of restive

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (2)

1694, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rusty was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rusty. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

rusty

adjective
ˈrəs-tē
rustier; rustiest
1
: affected by or as if by rust
2
: less skilled and slow through lack of practice or old age
3
: of the color rust
rustily
-tə-lē
adverb
rustiness
-tē-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on rusty

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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