rustic
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or living in the country, as distinguished from towns or cities; rural.
- Antonyms:
- urban
-
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.
adjective
-
of, characteristic of, or living in the country; rural
-
having qualities ascribed to country life or people; simple; unsophisticated
rustic pleasures
-
crude, awkward, or uncouth
-
made of untrimmed branches
a 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
Related Words
See rural.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rustic
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin rūsticus, equivalent to rūs “the country” ( see rural) + -ticus adjective suffix
Explanation
When you think of the word rustic, think of the rural country. This word can be given a positive or a negative spin depending on how you use it; a rustic inn, for example, might be quaint or it might be virtually uninhabitable. The words rustic and "rural" spring from the same ancient root: *rur-, which means "open space" in the hypothetical ancestor language Proto-Indo-European. In early usage, these two words were used interchangeably, but now, rural is used to describe locations –- "rural community," "rural location" — while rustic refers to the unrefined qualities associated with country life. The best antonym is cosmopolitan, which implies the sophistication and worldliness of city life.
Vocabulary lists containing rustic
Mythology
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The first permit approved was for repairs to a fire-damaged primary bedroom, bathroom and garage of a split-level home near Rustic Canyon, according to city records and Paul Lobana, the structural engineer for the project.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2025
Rustic Italian cabbage soup may not be in your repertoire yet, but Jamie Oliver's version is a Genius Recipe for a reason.
From Salon • Dec. 3, 2022
Sigsby runs Hi Ho Karaoke, a roving DJ and hosting outfit that brings one of SoCal’s cherished late-night pastimes to bars like Club Tee Gee, Ye Rustic Inn and Bigfoot Lounge.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2022
Moody clouds gathered as we rolled into the Rustic Rook Resort our first evening.
From Washington Post • Sep. 29, 2022
Home Sweet Home and The Old Rustic Bridge by the MBL Then, because it had finished its repertoire, it drew a hurried but quavering breath, and began again on Genevieve.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
