rustic

[ruhs-tik]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rustic ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of, relating to, or living in the country, as distinguished from towns or cities; rural.

simple, artless, or unsophisticated.

uncouth, rude, or boorish.

made of roughly dressed limbs or roots of trees, as garden seats.

(of stonework) having the surfaces rough or irregular and the joints sunken or beveled.

noun

a country person.

an unsophisticated country person.

Origin of rustic

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin rūsticus, equivalent to rūs the country (see rural) + -ticus adj. suffix

Related formsrus·ti·cal, adjectiverus·ti·cal·ly, rus·tic·ly, adverbrus·ti·cal·ness, rus·tic·ness, nounnon·rus·tic, adjectivenon·rus·ti·cal·ly, adverbun·rus·tic, adjectiveun·rus·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Synonyms for rustic

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rustic ON THESAURUS.COM

1. See rural.

Antonyms for rustic

1. urban.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for rustic

primitive, pastoral, picturesque, bucolic, homey, simple, austere, verdant, provincial, natural, homespun, arcadian, sylvan, plain, rough, stupid, mountaineer, boor, farmer, hillbilly

Examples from the Web for rustic

Contemporary Examples of rustic

He juices with vegetables, romances on Tinder, and shops for rustic furniture built with reclaimed materials.
Trading Dime Bags for Salvador Dali
Jason McGahan
October 19, 2014
With a beautiful location and rustic charm, a weekend in Stowe, Vermont can cure any life woes…especially during the fall.
A Healthy Dose of Vermont: Soaking Up Fall in the Mountains of Stowe
William O’Connor
November 8, 2013
Inside, the rustic dinner tables were adorned with colorful tulips.
CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards Honor the Next Big Designers
Robin Givhan
November 15, 2011
It was such a cool, quaint, and rustic spot, home to many of my most memorable meals.
Fresh Picks
Melissa Perello
May 12, 2011
Ariane was born and raised in a two-star Michelin kitchen in Gascony, a rustic corner in Southwest France.
The Queen of Foie Gras
David Lincoln Ross
December 29, 2010

Historical Examples of rustic

Why else should they wander together in the woods, or be so lost in talk by rustic streams?
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
And presently the rustic young gamester is tossing somersets for a penny.
The Shadow of a Crime
Hall Caine
"I could play lovers a deal better," said the rustic cherub.
Scaramouche
Rafael Sabatini
I found at the inn a young maid who spoke a sort of rustic Italian.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete
Jacques Casanova de Seingalt
And there were, about her, other suggestions of a rustic and homely nature.
Falk
Joseph Conrad

British Dictionary definitions for rustic

rustic

adjective

of, characteristic of, or living in the country; rural

having qualities ascribed to country life or people; simple; unsophisticatedrustic pleasures

crude, awkward, or uncouth

made of untrimmed branchesa rustic seat

denoting or characteristic of a style of furniture popular in England in the 18th and 19th centuries, in which the legs and feet of chairs, tables, etc, were made to resemble roots, trunks, and branches of trees

(of masonry) having a rusticated finish

noun

a person who comes from or lives in the country

an unsophisticated, simple, or clownish person from the country

Also called: rusticwork brick or stone having a rough finish

Derived Formsrustically, adverbrusticity (rʌˈstɪsɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for rustic

C16: from Old French rustique, from Latin rūsticus, from rūs the country

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for rustic

adj.

mid-15c., from Latin rusticus "of the country, rural; country-like, plain, simple, rough, coarse, awkward," from rus (genitive ruris) "open land, country" (see rural). Noun meaning "a country person, peasant" is from 1550s (also in classical Latin). Related: Rustical (early 15c.).