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
Aurier, who has also made 93 appearances for the Ivory Coast national team, might be rusty but could still do a job for one of the non-European teams at the Club World Cup. Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 28 May 2025 The 9 Best Electric Can Openers How to Deep Clean a Manual Can Opener to Remove Rust and Buildup Don’t throw away that rusty or dull can opener! Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 May 2025 Shults spends so much time on ambience that most of the film’s character interactions feel neglected and rusty at the joints. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 16 May 2025 Rashford looked rusty in the first half but grew into the second half. Jack Pitt-Brooke, The Athletic, 22 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 4 Jun. 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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