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
: outmoded
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
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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Rusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rusty. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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