rusty

¹

[ruhs-tee]

adjective

rustier, rustiest 

1. covered with or affected by rust.

2. consisting of or produced by rust.

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

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

5. impaired through disuse or neglect.

   My Latin is rusty.

6. having lost agility or alertness; out of practice.

   I am a bit rusty at tennis.

7. (of a sound) grating or harsh.

Rusty

²

[ruhs-tee]

noun

1. a male or female given name.

rusty

³

[ruhs-tee]

adjective

rustier, rustiest 

1. restive; stubborn.

   a rusty horse.

2. Chiefly Dialect.,  ill-tempered; cross.

rusty

/ ˈrʌstɪ /

adjective

1. covered with, affected by, or consisting of rust

   a rusty machine

   a rusty deposit

2. of the colour rust

3. discoloured by age

   a rusty coat

4. (of the voice) tending to croak

5. old-fashioned in appearance; seemingly antiquated

   a rusty old gentleman

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

7. (of plants) affected by the rust fungus

Other Word Forms

• rustily adverb
• rustiness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of rusty¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English rusti, Old English rūstig; rust, -y ¹

Origin of rusty²

First recorded in 1555–65; apparently special use of rusty ¹, but compare obsolete resty restive

Example Sentences

He arrived ring rusty from his strike on Tyneside, then picked up a groin injury that put him on the sidelines.

Read more on BBC

There was some scrambling about, and the sound of creaking, like a rusty hinge, followed by delighted yelps from the Incorrigibles.

Read more on Literature

England were presented with an awkward green top at the Bay Oval in the first ODI and their rusty top order - Brook's majestic hundred aside - found it tough going.

Read more on BBC

About 20 new species have been unearthed as a result of the voyage so far, including the Carnavon Flapjack Octopus, a rusty red creature around 4cm big.

Read more on BBC

Those tax credits saved the nuclear industry from disappearing, one rusty reactor at a time.

Read more on Barron's