rusty

¹

[ruhs-tee]

adjective

rustier, rustiest 

1. covered with or affected by rust.

2. consisting of or produced by rust.

3. of or tending toward the color rust; rust-colored.

4. faded or shabby; impaired by time or wear, as clothes or drapery.

5. impaired through disuse or neglect.

   My Latin is rusty.

6. having lost agility or alertness; out of practice.

   I am a bit rusty at tennis.

7. (of a sound) grating or harsh.

rusty

²

[ruhs-tee]

adjective

rustier, rustiest 

1. restive; stubborn.

   a rusty horse.

2. Chiefly Dialect.,  ill-tempered; cross.

Rusty

³

[ruhs-tee]

noun

1. a male or female given name.

rusty

/ ˈrʌstɪ /

adjective

1. covered with, affected by, or consisting of rust

   a rusty machine

   a rusty deposit

2. of the colour rust

3. discoloured by age

   a rusty coat

4. (of the voice) tending to croak

5. old-fashioned in appearance; seemingly antiquated

   a rusty old gentleman

6. out of practice; impaired in skill or knowledge by inaction or neglect

7. (of plants) affected by the rust fungus

Other Word Forms

• rustily adverb
• rustiness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of rusty¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English rusti, Old English rūstig; rust, -y ¹

Origin of rusty²

First recorded in 1555–65; apparently special use of rusty ¹, but compare obsolete resty restive

Example Sentences

England were presented with an awkward green top at the Bay Oval in the first ODI and their rusty top order - Brook's majestic hundred aside - found it tough going.

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About 20 new species have been unearthed as a result of the voyage so far, including the Carnavon Flapjack Octopus, a rusty red creature around 4cm big.

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Those tax credits saved the nuclear industry from disappearing, one rusty reactor at a time.

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Isak's last competitive club game was on 25 May for Newcastle, so it is understandable Liverpool are handling him with care - and the striker looked rusty.

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"She was a bit rusty early on I thought and then she grew into the match," said Mitchell of Aitchison.

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