crusty

adjective

ˈkrə-stē How to pronounce crusty (audio)
Definition of crustynext
as in blunt
being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner a crusty old fisherman who doesn't care to have his picture taken with silly tourists

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word crusty distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of crusty are bluff, blunt, brusque, curt, and gruff. While all these words mean "abrupt and unceremonious in speech and manner," crusty suggests a harsh or surly manner sometimes concealing an inner kindliness.

a crusty exterior

Where would bluff be a reasonable alternative to crusty?

The synonyms bluff and crusty are sometimes interchangeable, but bluff connotes good-natured outspokenness and unconventionality.

a bluff manner

When can blunt be used instead of crusty?

While the synonyms blunt and crusty are close in meaning, blunt suggests directness of expression in disregard of others' feelings.

a blunt appraisal

When might brusque be a better fit than crusty?

The words brusque and crusty can be used in similar contexts, but brusque applies to a sharpness or ungraciousness.

a brusque response

When could curt be used to replace crusty?

While in some cases nearly identical to crusty, curt implies disconcerting shortness or rude conciseness.

a curt command

When is gruff a more appropriate choice than crusty?

Although the words gruff and crusty have much in common, gruff suggests a hoarse or husky speech which may imply bad temper but more often implies embarrassment or shyness.

puts on a gruff pose

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of crusty Baking With Boris | 2024 | France, Switzerland, Croatia | Maša Avramović | Every morning, Boris the village baker makes a fresh batch of crusty bread and pastries for all his neighbours until…Achoo! —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 25 June 2025 Just cheese doing what cheese does best, served with crusty bread. —David Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2025 The pic follows crusty Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix), who decides to take on the town’s mayor, Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal). —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 17 May 2025 My neighbors are a veterinarian who wheels around his crusty white dog in a stroller and an elderly man. —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for crusty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crusty
  1. blunt
  2. gruff
  3. abrupt
  4. short
  5. outspoken
  6. brusque
  7. curt
Adjective
  • The cause of death was traumatic blunt force injuries.
    — Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 21 July 2025
  • The magnetized tank struck the child, who died of blunt force trauma injuries.
    — Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 20 July 2025
Definition of blunt
Adjective
  • Audiences can often sense the corporate overlords’ gruff hands pushing these previously distinct programs together.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 July 2025
  • On the other hand, the 73-year-old Belichick’s gruff persona, with his monosyllabic utterances at news conferences, has become the stuff of legend.
    — Bruce Feldman, New York Times, 7 July 2025
Definition of gruff
Adjective
  • There are subtle transitions in this narrative, carefully plotted points of reference which keep the story from ever feeling disjointed or abrupt.
    — Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
  • In an abrupt June 23 announcement—only two months after the deal was unveiled—Novo Nordisk severed the partnership.
    — Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
Definition of abrupt
Adjective
  • For beginners, Bravo recommends starting with short sessions and using a handle for support while your body adapts.
    — Jordan Galloway, SELF, 15 July 2025
  • Along the way, people asked him to orchestrate short pieces, then conduct some sessions.
    — George Bradt, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Definition of short
Adjective
  • Maher is often outspoken about normalizing all body types.
    — Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 14 July 2025
  • Several of Sanchez's teammates, specifically Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos and JT Realmuto were very outspoken about the decision to add Misiorowski over Sanchez.
    — Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025
Definition of outspoken
Adjective
  • The same substantive deficits afflict Louise-Parker, too, whose bright eyes and brusque wit are wasted in a role that’s villainous potential exists only in exposition.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 July 2025
  • Going from Pitch Stop to Drama Room meant a brusque shift, with all four projects grappling with questions either directly tied to or adjacent to modern masculinity.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 21 June 2025
Definition of brusque
Adjective
  • The judge was curt but courteous; a Spanish-language interpreter was available on a large video screen to his right.
    — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
  • If that bluntness sound a little prosaic at first, there’s a curt poetry to it that comes into focus listening through 15 tracks that consist almost entirely of sisters Danielle, Alana and Este Haim handing in their respective resignations to long- or short-term partners, effectively immediately.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 20 June 2025
Definition of curt

Browse Nearby Words

crusts
crusty
crutch
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Cite this Entry

“Crusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crusty. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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