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 Williams both looked rusty and like herself across the course of the match, but a late comeback was not enough to stay the 20-year-old Joint. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 1 July 2026 With a splash, the bloody fish chunks in Johnny Matthews’ white, rusty crate sink into the royal blue waters offshore of Jupiter. — Kairi Lowery, Miami Herald, 2 July 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 See All Example Sentences for rusty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rusty

Adjective

The Spanish is archaic, the intonations are complicated, and the words tumble over themselves like a hard charge toward the goal posts.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026
For golf cart operators, that evolution absolutely begins by ditching archaic lead-acid relics engineered for a bygone era.

— Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 24 June 2026

Definition of archaic

Adjective

The other was a tearing beauty, a creature so lovely that one look at her sent young men’s blood pressure skyward and set them to uttering wild, hoarse cries and tearing telephone directories apart with the bare hands.

— John Madson, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026
Others walked home sunburned, hoarse and still dressed in blue and orange.

— C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 18 June 2026

Definition of hoarse

Adjective

The professors were bitter and angry—angry at a university, a state, and a country where their fields of study were regarded as obsolete, useful only for padding the schedules of STEM students or as a backstop for STEM burnouts.

— Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
All devices will eventually become obsolete and be disposed of, but until such time, the connectivity models mean that almost all products are now IoT devices and require whole-life management.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Definition of obsolete

Adjective

Abraham Lincoln furiously scribbled in Springfield on June 27, 1858, firing off a gruff note to the editor-in-chief of the Chicago Press & Tribune, then in business for only 11 years.

— Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2026
But Rose bet that a less gruff voice, ultimately Mike Brown’s, was required to win it all.

— Sean Gregory, Time, 14 June 2026

Definition of gruff

Adjective

By wrapping antiquated infrastructure in agentic interfaces, these workers can unlock near-native operational efficiency without a risky, catastrophic core system overhaul.

— Barney Krishnan, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
But what, exactly, is that robot doing watching fireworks next to a little boy and a man in antiquated garb?

— Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 29 June 2026

Definition of antiquated

Adjective

This husky-border collie mix is one of Pebbles' seven new pet siblings.

— Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026
Bob Cary, tall and husky outdoor editor of the Chicago Daily News, was there with his family, staying at the lake’s only resort, where Vera and I also were staying.

— Hank Bradshaw, Outdoor Life, 24 June 2026

Definition of husky

Adjective

Enter Peskesi and the dozens of regenerative and natural wineries scattered across the southwest of Crete near quiet, picturesque Chania, which form its wine trail, a range from medieval-palace tasting rooms to sprawling vineyard operations.

— Shannon McMahon, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 July 2026
Not many estates can claim to have a 1,000-year-old medieval tower in the backyard, but that’s exactly what anchors this historic property in the heart of Tuscany’s renowned Chianti wine region.

— Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 1 July 2026

Definition of medieval

Adjective

The infant, who is 9 months old, was rescued along with her mother, the State Department told Fox News Digital.

— Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
While students honed their skills at the Santa Monica studio for the last year and four months, Blanck found an old pilates studio in Pacific Highlands for rent, but the numbers just didn't add up.

— Rina Nakano, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Definition of old

Browse Nearby Words

rusts

rusty

rut

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

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Synonyms of rusty

adjective

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