rusty
1 of 2adjective (1)
ˈrə-stē 
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
5
: hoarse, grating
rustily
ˈrə-stə-lē
adverb rustiness
ˈrə-stē-nəs
noun rusty
2 of 2adjective (2)
rus·ty ˈrə-stē
rustier; rustiest
chiefly dialectal
: ill-natured, surly
Synonyms
Adjective (1)
- antiquated
- archaic
- dated
- démodé
- demoded
- fossilized
- kaput
- kaputt
- medieval
- mediaeval
- moribund
- mossy
- moth-eaten
- neolithic
- Noachian
- obsolete
- out-of-date
- outdated
- outmoded
- outworn
- passé
- prehistoric
- prehistorical
- Stone Age
- superannuated
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Word History
Etymology
Adjective (2)
alteration of restive
First Known Use
Adjective (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective (2)
1694, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
rusty
adjective
ˈrə-stē
rustier; rustiest
1
: affected by rust
a rusty nail
2
: less skilled and slow through lack of practice or use
Living alone on a mountain … your speaking voice gets rusty.
Jean Craighead George, My Side of the Mountain
Jean Craighead George, My Side of the Mountainrusty
adjective
1
as in antiquated
having passed its time of use or usefulness rusty laws still on the books because no one bothered to repeal them Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- antiquated
- archaic
- obsolete
- medieval
- old
- prehistoric
- dated
- antique
- useless
- outdated
- mossy
- outmoded
- expired
- ancient
- discarded
- neolithic
- defunct
- vintage
- outworn
- moribund
- aging
- fossilized
- superannuated
- passé
- prehistorical
- out-of-date
- kaput
- disused
- mediaeval
- retro
- dead
- moth-eaten
- kaputt
- unusable
- historic
- historical
- démodé
- ageing
- late
- aged
- demoded
- Stone Age
- obsolescent
- inoperable
- fusty
- extinct
- vanished
- musty
- inert
- past
- dormant
- inoperative
- venerable
- unworkable
- latent
- hoary
- antediluvian
- Noachian
- inactive
- former
- idle
- free
- fallow
- erstwhile
- atavistic
- old-fashioned
- bygone
- old-time
- oldfangled
- dateless
- age-old
- old-world
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- modern
- new
- newfangled
- current
- ultramodern
- contemporary
- fresh
- recent
- modernized
- functional
- mod
- renewed
- operational
- workable
- refurbished
- new-fashioned
- functioning
- up-to-date
- operable
- remodeled
- operative
- operating
- active
- up-to-the-minute
- present-day
- busy
- employed
- alive
2
as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound in a rusty voice the old man ordered us off his land Synonyms & Similar Words
- hoarse
- gruff
- husky
- scratchy
- coarse
- rasping
- gravelly
- gravel
- raspy
- grating
- croaky
- throaty
- croaking
- cracked
- growling
- scraping
- choked
- rough
- strained
- strangled
- abrasive
- grinding
- guttural
- jarring
- scratching
- screeching
- dissonant
- discordant
- strident
- raucous
- unmusical
- growly
- squawking
- unmelodious
- inharmonious
- cacophonous
- cawing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- golden
- sweet
- liquid
- gentle
- soft
- mellow
- mellifluous
- smooth
- soothing
- tender
- velvety
- silken
- satiny
- gliding
- mellifluent
- melodic
- musical
- melodious
- lyrical
- lyric
- euphonious