rustier; rustiest
1
: affected by or as if by rust
especially
: stiff with or as if with rust
2
: inept and slow through lack of practice or old age
3
a
: of the color rust
b
: dulled in color or appearance by age and use
rusty old boots
4
: outmoded
Synonyms
Examples of rusty in a Sentence
Adjective (1)
rusty laws still on the books because no one bothered to repeal them
in a rusty voice the old man ordered us off his land
Recent Examples on the Web
Zak Keefer, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
Seeing Mars, twice the size of the Moon, rising above the lunar horizon like a rusty BB pellet next to a dusty volleyball provided a perfect illustration of the scale and grandeur of the Solar System.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 14 Jan. 2025
Those who live by the beach or in a very humid climate can end up with a rusty appliance if the metal is scratched and subsequently interacts with the elements, which can lead to oxidation, Willatt explains.
—Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 9 Jan. 2025
And at the bottom of each was a few inches of rusty red liquid.
—Ian Frisch, Curbed, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for rusty 
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Adjective
Kansas City looked rusty at times and was sloppy at others, but the Chiefs never beat themselves.
—Zak Keefer, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
Seeing Mars, twice the size of the Moon, rising above the lunar horizon like a rusty BB pellet next to a dusty volleyball provided a perfect illustration of the scale and grandeur of the Solar System.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 14 Jan. 2025
Those who live by the beach or in a very humid climate can end up with a rusty appliance if the metal is scratched and subsequently interacts with the elements, which can lead to oxidation, Willatt explains.
—Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 9 Jan. 2025
And at the bottom of each was a few inches of rusty red liquid.
—Ian Frisch, Curbed, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for rusty
Dictionary Entries Near rusty
Cite this Entry
“Rusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rusty. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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