rustier; rustiest
Synonyms of rustynext
1
: affected by or as if by rust
especially : stiff with or as if with rust
2
: not as good or quick as usual or as in the past because of lack of practice or use
3
a
: of the color rust
b
: dulled in color or appearance by age and use
rusty old boots
4
: outmoded
rusty jokes
5
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
Panarin beat rusty backup Semyon Varlamov glove side twice, and Darcy Kuemper kept making stops even as his rebound control was lacking, finishing with 41 saves. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Sunny yellow, warm cinnamon, pastel pink, royal purple, rusty red—these are just a few of the available colors of chrysanthemums. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2026 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 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 27 Oct. 2026.

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
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