RUSTIC Synonyms: 126 Similar and Opposite Words

rustic 1 of 2

noun

Definition of rustic

as in peasant

an awkward or simple person especially from a small town or the country a rustic who was awed by the prices that city dwellers had to pay

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rustic

2 of 2

adjective

ˈrə-stik

variants also rustical

as in uncomfortable

lacking social grace and assurance rustic yokels whose first impulse was to smirk gawkily at anyone not of their own kind

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in rural

of, relating to, associated with, or typical of open areas with few buildings or people a rustic area that has a refreshing lack of billboards and shopping malls

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 rustic

Adjective

This is a rustic 10-site campground that sits at 7,100-feet elevation and is deep in the San Gabriel Mountains. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026 Pairing gravel with lavish furnishings, rather than solely sticking to rustic aesthetics, will make your patio stand out. — Shagun Khare, Martha Stewart, 29 July 2026 Duhamel’s rustic cabin in Minnesota didn’t have electricity, running water or other modern amenities for a long time. — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026 In this rustic kitchen, the visual weight of the two breadboards balances the strong visual presence of the white crock. — Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rustic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rustic

Noun

His mother was a dark-skinned granddaughter of Saint Ann’s enslaved whose peasant kin farmed dasheen and yams.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
The Euphoria alum’s peasant blouse featured frilly puff sleeves, while her distressed dark-wash jeans came in a baggy cut.

— Hannah Malach, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of peasant

Adjective

The floods also devastated livestock, with large numbers of cattle lost, dealing a blow to rural communities and raising concerns about disease outbreaks.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
Residents in the tiny rural town of Malden, located about 35 miles (55 kilometers) south of Spokane, had been urged Saturday to evacuate immediately.

— Jamie Stengle, Chicago Tribune, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of rural

Noun

Marlowe, the son of a poor Canterbury cobbler, and Shakespeare, the son of a Stratford glover and alderman, were both unlikely artistic geniuses, provincials in a nation in which social class was rigidly fixed.

— Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Sep. 2025
Sanders is a Catholic priest and former Augustinian provincial in California and lives in the Augustinian community in North Park.

— Gary Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2025

Definition of provincial

Adjective

Meanwhile, China is tightening approvals for exports of rare earth products — a key bargaining chip at the last summit in Beijing, which sealed an uneasy trade truce.

— Andy Browne, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2026
As the novel coronavirus overtook daily life, in the spring of 2020, our celebrities occupied uneasy terrain.

— Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of uneasy

Noun

When Johnson was vice president and visiting Europe, there were reports filed by these British ambassadors in several countries that basically made fun of him as a hick.

— Wendy Naugle, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
So a bunch of hicks from Topeka were left up to our own devices of going down to Robert Hall and finding something that might be kind of cool.

— Devon Ivie, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of hick

Adjective

The mistake leaders make is concluding that the person who looks uncertain or clumsy must have been the wrong choice.

— Monica Cutia, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
The second trickier and clumsier aside happens when Banderas’ chef tells Tony the tragedy of 17th century French cook François Vatel, who literally fell on his sword before serving a banquet to Louis XIV.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of clumsy

Browse Nearby Words

rusted

rustic

rusticity

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Rustic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rustic. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of rustic

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on rustic

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gnomic

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes