rusty
/ˈrʌsti
/adjective (rustier, rustiest)
1(Of a metal object) affected by rust: a rusty hinge...
- To remove caked on rust, scour the rusty surface with a metal brush.
- The rusty, metal hinges squeaked as he pulled the door open, wincing as it scraped loudly against the stone floor, and stepped inside.
- When a car has a steel fuel tank, as yours does, it will eventually start to rust and small bits of rusty metal and flaked paint will collect at the lowest point in the tank.
Synonyms
rusted, rust-covered, corroded, oxidized;
tarnished, discoloured
rare aeruginous
1.1Rust-coloured: green grass turning a rusty brown...
- His shaggy black hair was now slowly changing to a rusty reddish brown color, almost his natural color.
- The famous altar at which the prophesies were made by pouring wine in a blazing fire and divining on the smoke can still be seen as a large rusty brown circle in the stone.
- The only traces of the towers are a series of steel girders torn into crazy angles and already turning a rusty brown from the moisture coming off the nearby river.
Synonyms
reddish-brown, chestnut, auburn, tawny, russet, coppery, copper, Titian, rust-coloured, reddish, rufous;
brick-red, brick
rare rufescent
1.2(Of black clothes) discoloured by age.His stiff, black suit was rusty with age.
2(Of knowledge or a skill) impaired by lack of recent practice: my typing is a little rusty...
- Want to practice your rusty French skills, but don't have enough money to vacation in France?
- I was thinking that my lack of luck with Brad the lumberjack may be due to my flirting skills being rusty.
- Whatever the reason these folks have been unemployed, their job skills are probably rusty.
Synonyms
out of practice, not as good as it used to be, below par;
unpractised, not what it was, neglected, deficient, impaired, weak
2.1Stiff with age or disuse: it was my first race for three months and I felt a bit rusty...
- Her workshop is aimed at beginners, rusty or stiff movers who want to have some fun and lead a healthier lifestyle through dance.
- It felt a bit rusty at first but I am really enjoying myself.
Derivatives
rustily
- Even when state and federal assistance cranked rustily into gear, the helicopter-loads of armed police and soldiers flooding into the city gave the appearance of an invasion as much as a rescue.
- There are none of those solidly heroic symbols of universally uniting workers, or the international solidarity of metal and dogma bashers that are such a rustily ironic feature of state socialism elsewhere.
- I knew he was going to improve for that race because he raced rustily that day.
rustiness
/ noun ...- Munster hadn't played together for many weeks and there was bound to be a bit of rustiness.
- Tuesday was a pleasant reminder of the fact that I'm still a moderately good debater despite a year of rustiness, and winning the friendly at QMW with Mark as partner was a fitting way to end our debating year.
- Watching him, however, betrayed more than understandable physical rustiness.
Origin
Old English rūstig (see rust, -y1).