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 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 Helen admired pheasants and kept their long, rusty feathers in her sewing room. — Tom Drury, Harpers Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026 But Scotto saw good real estate and didn’t care about the space’s rusty past. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rusty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rusty

Adjective

In our era of incessant texting, the concept of these radio missives struck me as both archaic and romantic.

— Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
The archaic legal restrictions restricting same-sex couples or unmarried women, for example, are acknowledged and adhered to, rather than being openly challenged or criticized.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of archaic

Adjective

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
Singers didn’t want their voices to get hoarse over the long night or week.

— Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of hoarse

Adjective

Whether machines can make conventional money obsolete remains an open question.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
Advertisement That prescription has rankled many cybersecurity experts who scoff at the possibility that their expertise will be rendered obsolete.

— Harry Booth, Time, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of obsolete

Adjective

Defying the old-school stereotype of the hard-nosed, gruff newspaper boss, Vaughn often mentored young reporters in a serious but friendly and encouraging manner.

— Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
Over three decades in stand-up comedy, Bill Burr has gained a reputation for saying, with gruff conviction and political fire, the thing on everyone’s mind.

— Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 9 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

The territories at various times have been part of the Russian and Ottoman empires, medieval Kievan Rus’ and earlier civilizations.

— Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
The time period is vaguely medieval and the accents British, save for Skarsgård, who speaks in a flat, neutral exhale, the sound of breeze riffling through straw.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of medieval

Adjective

An album-length EP by the 20-year-old producer is a dizzying and boundless collage of collages, using free-jazz logic and digital overload to chart new emotional terrain.

— Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
Rodrigo Valentim, a 51-year-old businessman and supporter of Bolsonaro, said another Lula government would harm the economy.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of old

Browse Nearby Words

rusts

rusty

rut

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Style

“Rusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rusty. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of rusty

adjective

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