dusty

American  

[duhs-tee] / ˈdʌs ti /

adjective

dustier, dustiest

1. filled, covered, or clouded with or as with dust.

2. of the nature of dust; powdery.

3. of the color of dust; having a grayish cast.

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dusty British  

/ ˈdʌstɪ /

adjective

1. covered with or involving dust

2. like dust in appearance or colour

3. (of a colour) tinged with grey; pale

   dusty pink

4. an unhelpful or bad-tempered reply

5. informal not too bad; fairly well: often in response to the greeting how are you?

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Other Word Forms

• dustily adverb
• dustiness noun
• undusty adjective

Etymology

Origin of dusty

Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; dust, -y ¹

Example Sentences

The candies themselves looked like tiny, dusty potatoes: irregular little lumps of sweet cream with bits of coconut rolled in cinnamon, dusty and warm-smelling, tucked into a plastic tray.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

Nyawan Koang, 30, and her five children had to walk for two days to reach the dusty village of Duk.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Lunar regolith is the scientific name for the dusty material that covers the Moon's surface.

From Science Daily • Mar. 12, 2026

Be honest with yourself: Are you really going to use the dusty waffle maker in your kitchen cabinet?

From MarketWatch • Feb. 23, 2026

Unless it was the dusty old times table chart peeling off the back wall that was suddenly fascinating her, it had to be me, I reckoned, steeling my lips against the pull of a smirk.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Related Words

• chalky
• dirty
• sandy