adust

/əˈdʌst/

//əˈdʌst// adj

"adust" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“adust” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Abnormally dark or over-concentrated (associated with various states of discomfort or illness, specifically being too hot or dry).

Corpus desk

Index EN-adust · adust · English

adust · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for adust
PropertyValue
Headwordadust
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əˈdʌst/
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “adust” in English

adustsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

adust is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /əˈdʌst/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for adust in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French aduste, and its source, Latin adustus (“burnt, scorched”), past participle of adūrere. The correct English form is adust, spelled A-D-U-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Abnormally dark or over-concentrated (associated with various states of discomfort or illness, specifically being too hot or dry).
  2. 2
    Hot and dry; thirsty or parched.
  3. 3
    Burnt or having a scorched colour.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how adust appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. From melancholy aduſt ariſes one kind [of humour]; from Choler another, which is moſt brutiſh: another from Flegme, which is dull; and the laſt from Blood, which is beſt.
  2. [S]o in fevers and hot diſtempers from choler aduſt is cauſed a blackneſſe in our tongues, teeth and excretions: […]

Etymology

From Middle French aduste, and its source, Latin adustus (“burnt, scorched”), past participle of adūrere.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "adust"?
"adust" is spelled A-D-U-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈdʌst/.
What does "adust" mean?
As an adjective, "adust" means: Abnormally dark or over-concentrated (associated with various states of discomfort or illness, specifically being too hot or dry).
How do you pronounce "adust"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "adust" is /əˈdʌst/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "adust"?
From Middle French aduste, and its source, Latin adustus (“burnt, scorched”), past participle of adūrere. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list