rustle

[ ruhs-uhl ]

See synonyms for: rustle rustling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),rus·tled, rus·tling.

to make a succession of slight, soft sounds, as of parts rubbing gently one on another, as leaves, silks, or papers.
to cause such sounds by moving or stirring something.

to move, proceed, or work energetically: Rustle around and see what you can find.

verb (used with object),rus·tled, rus·tling.

to move or stir so as to cause a rustling sound: The wind rustled the leaves.
to move, bring, or get by energetic action: I'll go rustle some supper.

to steal (livestock, especially cattle).

noun

the sound made by anything that rustles: the rustle of leaves.

Verb Phrases

rustle up, Informal. to find, gather, or assemble by effort or search: to rustle up some wood for a fire.

Origin of rustle

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb rustlen; compare Frisian russelje, Dutch ridselen; imitative of the sound

Other words from rustle

rus·tling·ly, adverb
un·rus·tling, adjective

Words Nearby rustle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rustle in a sentence

For one, O’Connell masters every rustle, movement of the body, caught breath, laugh, rise of emotion.
‘Dana H.’ Was Kidnapped by a Psychopath. Now Her Ordeal Is a Broadway Play. | Tim Teeman | October 18, 2021 | The Daily Beast
Our hunter-gatherer ancestors survived by assuming every rustle in the grasses was a lurking hungry lion, not harmless birds hunting for seeds.
Boost your mood with emotional brain training | By Laurel Mellin/The Conversation | January 4, 2021 | Popular-Science
They would rustle and tussle it for like three minutes and that was it!
OITNB’s New Villain Vee, Played By Lorraine Toussaint, Speaks for the First Time | Kevin Fallon | June 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Prepared with paper to rustle, rice to shake, and water to ripple.
ASMR and the Rise of the Whisper Fetish | Aurora Snow | December 7, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
In her hand she held a silk map of the region, given to agents to avoid the giveaway rustle of paper in pockets.
World War II’s Most Glamorous Spy: Christine Granville | Emma Garman | July 7, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST

If I can rustle horses I'll send these two boys on home, with a note to the old man explaining how the play came up.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. Sinclair
But the fronds of a palm-tree in the wind produce a noise that is unlike the rustle of any other foliage in the world.
The Wave | Algernon Blackwood
And before he had finished smiling, over the parquet floor behind him there came the light rustle of a dress.
Bella Donna | Robert Hichens
The faint rustle of the Black Hood's cape caused the messenger on the ground to look up.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942 | Various
There was a rustle of expectancyupon the girls side, at leastat Assembly on Monday morning.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage | Gertrude W. Morrison

British Dictionary definitions for rustle (1 of 2)

rustle¹

/ (ˈrʌsəl) /

verb

to make or cause to make a low crisp whispering or rubbing sound, as of dry leaves or paper
to move with such a sound

noun

such a sound or sounds

Origin of rustle

Old English hrūxlian; related to Gothic hrukjan to crow ², Old Norse hraukr raven, crow 1

Derived forms of rustle

rustling, adjective, noun
rustlingly, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for rustle (2 of 2)

rustle²

/ (ˈrʌsəl) /

verb

mainly US and Canadian to steal (cattle, horses, etc)
US and Canadian informal to move swiftly and energetically

Origin of rustle

C19: probably special use of rustle 1 (in the sense: to move with quiet sound)

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

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