rusty

[ ruhs-tee ]

/ ˈrʌs ti /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rusty ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, rust·i·er, rust·i·est.

covered with or affected by rust.

consisting of or produced by rust.

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

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

impaired through disuse or neglect: My Latin is rusty.

having lost agility or alertness; out of practice: I am a bit rusty at tennis.

(of a sound) grating or harsh.

Nearby words

Origin of rusty

before 900; Middle English rusti, Old English rūstig; see rust, -y¹

Related formsrust·i·ly, adverbrust·i·ness, noun

Definition for rusty (2 of 3)

rusty

[ ruhs-tee ]

/ ˈrʌs ti /

adjective, rust·i·er, rust·i·est.

restive; stubborn: a rusty horse.

Chiefly Dialect. ill-tempered; cross.

Origin of rusty

1555–65; apparently special use of rusty¹; but compare obsolete resty restive

Definition for rusty (3 of 3)

Rusty

[ ruhs-tee ]

/ ˈrʌs ti /

noun

a male or female given name.

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

Examples from the Web for rusty

But, still, week after week, Addison lived in a Dili hostel waiting for the rusty wheels of Timorese justice to set her free.
Let’s Free Stacey Addison, The Oregon Woman Jailed at the Ends of the Earth|Christopher Dickey|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Across the world, a rusty World War II fort floats off the English coast.
Discovering Underground Labyrinths, Remote Cities, and More of the World’s Lost Places|Nina Strochlic|July 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rusty and squeaky, in need of maintenance and oil, the tank had not lost its destructive skills.
Ukraine Wants to Seal Its Russian Border|Anna Nemtsova|July 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His cause, like a rusty old jalopy, is falling apart before he turned the key.
How the Tide Turned on Gay Marriage|Michael Signer|June 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

“The chemical aspect of Spice is unique and new,” Rusty Payne, spokesperson for the DEA tells me.
How Pfizer Helped Make ‘Spice,’ The Deadly Fake Pot|Abby Haglage|May 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It had been left uninjured by the fire, but its locks and bolts were all too rusty to be of the smallest use.
'Neath the Hoof of the Tartar|Mikls Jsika
And who cut of Sear's arm at the shoulder for a trifle of a rusty nail?
Two Knapsacks|John Campbell
Tired and hungry, and then baited like a bull by your rusty wits!
In Sunny Spain with Pilarica and Rafael|Katharine Lee Bates
To while away the hours of their captivity, they carved their names upon the walls with rusty nails.
The Story of Manhattan|Charles Hemstreet
The first night at Cottingdean Lord Saltire had his writing-desk unpacked, and took therefrom a rusty key.
Ravenshoe|Henry Kingsley

British Dictionary definitions for rusty

rusty

/ (ˈrʌstɪ) /

adjective rustier or rustiest

covered with, affected by, or consisting of rusta rusty machine; a rusty deposit

of the colour rust

discoloured by agea rusty coat

(of the voice) tending to croak

old-fashioned in appearance; seemingly antiquateda rusty old gentleman

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

(of plants) affected by the rust fungus

Derived Formsrustily, adverbrustiness, noun

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 rusty

rusty

adj.

Old English rustig; see rust (n.) + -y (2). Cognate with Frisian roastich, Middle Dutch roestich, Dutch roestig, Old High German rostag, German rostig. "In the 16th and 17th centuries frequently used as a term of general disparagement" [OED]. Of bodily skills, "impaired by neglect," from c.1500; of mental qualities, accomplishments, etc., first attested 1796.

rusty

adjective, rust·i·er, rust·i·est.

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Nearby words

Origin of rusty

Definition for rusty (2 of 3)

rusty

adjective, rust·i·er, rust·i·est.

Origin of rusty

Definition for rusty (3 of 3)

Rusty

noun

Examples from the Web for rusty

British Dictionary definitions for rusty

rusty

adjective rustier or rustiest

Word Origin and History for rusty

rusty