RUSTY Synonyms: 158 Similar and Opposite Words

rusty

adjective

ˈrə-stē

Definition of rusty

as in archaic

having passed its time of use or usefulness rusty laws still on the books because no one bothered to repeal them

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hoarse

harsh and dry in sound in a rusty voice the old man ordered us off his land

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 rusty Hardy recalled seeing Dale painting a rusty fertilizer tank in that barn in the days after Dee vanished. — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026 The screaming engine bounced under a rusty white hood that appeared to be fastened in place by a bungee cord. — Literary Hub, 31 July 2026 That's followed just two weeks later with a spectacular lunar eclipse that sees the moon fall deep into our planet's shadow, painting it a rusty-orange hue, weather permitting. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 30 July 2026 News articles from that year describe several steel, rusty drums of unlabeled hazardous waste and pesticides lying on their sides, abandoned or leaking in multiple pavilions around Epcot. — Wuft News, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rusty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rusty

Adjective

And the rest is public perception, which has shifted against what many Americans see as a dirty, archaic form of power generation.

— Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026
Now, if the league would drop its archaic blackout rules, this would be a lot easier for everyone.

— Scott Powers, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of archaic

Adjective

When 39 days of elite physical punishment concluded with stadium lights dimming across North America, millions of fans limped away from watch parties with hoarse voices and sore feet.

— Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
The other was a tearing beauty, a creature so lovely that one look at her sent young men’s blood pressure skyward and set them to uttering wild, hoarse cries and tearing telephone directories apart with the bare hands.

— John Madson, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026

Definition of hoarse

Adjective

This drives lenders to demand aggressive loan amortization schedules to pay down the debt before the tech becomes obsolete.

— Dr. Dick Bridy, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
The perfection of satellite and fiber-optic communications made microwaves obsolete, while the rapid development of modern computers turned the gubbins on the lower floors into museum pieces.

— David Szondy August 01, New Atlas, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of obsolete

Adjective

Pangan remembers of Brun, imitating his gruff voice, and shaking her head.

— Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026
Experiments In Offline Dating by Kat Mackenzie Maya Davis travels to Ireland to find love the old-fashioned way for her dating podcast, only to endure the most disastrous blind date of her life with a gruff sheep farmer.

— Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 31 July 2026

Definition of gruff

Adjective

Comptroller Brooke Lierman acknowledged that Maryland needed to improve its return rate and modernize its antiquated systems.

— Mark Lewyn, Baltimore Sun, 5 Aug. 2026
Dust ruffles may have gone the way of the dodo after their heyday in the maximalist ’80s, but the absolute best bed skirts (done up in cottagecore ginghams and frothy sateens) are putting the antiquated bed dressing back on the map.

— Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of antiquated

Adjective

Tyler, after a brief recovery period, returned to the recording studio with a huskier, edgier voice.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
The extravagant, hi-NRG single showcased the breadth of Tyler’s husky grandeur, which proved a perfect fit for Giorgio Moroder.

— Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026

Definition of husky

Adjective

Nearby Montefioralle—officially recognized as one of Italy's most beautiful villages—is worth a detour, as is Volpaia, a near-intact medieval hamlet around 20 minutes to the north.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026
Moscow first appears in historical records as a medieval frontier town in 1147.

— Lidia Pilecky, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of medieval

Adjective

The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Jeanine John Taele, was spotted by plainclothes federal agents who observed odd behavior and subsequently contacted the Lomita Sheriff Department deputies.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Aug. 2026
In honor of the upcoming movie, the All Roads Lead to Camp bus is touring across the country and bringing fans, new and old, into the world of Camp Rock, PEOPLE previously revealed exclusively.

— Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of old

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rusts

rusty

rut

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Style

“Rusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rusty. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of rusty

adjective

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