# rusty

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈɹʌsti/ · frequency rank #12,855

## Definitions
1. Marked or corroded by rust.
2. Of the rust color, reddish or reddish-brown.
3. Lacking recent experience, out of practice, especially with respect to a skill or activity.
4. Of clothing, especially dark clothing: worn, shabby.
5. Affected with the fungal plant disease called rust.

## Etymology
From Middle English rusty, from Old English rūstiġ (“rusty”), from Proto-Germanic *rustagaz (“rusty”), equivalent to rust + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian rusterch (“rusty”), West Frisian rustich, roastich (“rusty”), Dutch roestig (“rusty”), German Low German rusterig, rüsterig (“rusty”), German rostig (“rusty”), Swedish rostig (“rusty”).

## Easily confused with
- **rut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rusty-vs-rut)
- **ruth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rusty-vs-ruth)
- **Rus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rus-vs-rusty)
- **rest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rest-vs-rusty)
- **rush** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rush-vs-rusty)
- **ruby** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ruby-vs-rusty)
- **rust** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rust-vs-rusty)
- **Russ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/russ-vs-rusty)
- **Rudy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rudy-vs-rusty)
- **rosy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rosy-vs-rusty)
- **ruse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ruse-vs-rusty)
- **rusk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rusk-vs-rusty)
- **rugby** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rugby-vs-rusty)
- **risky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/risky-vs-rusty)
- **rests** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rests-vs-rusty)
- **ruddy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ruddy-vs-rusty)
- **runny** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/runny-vs-rusty)
- **raspy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/raspy-vs-rusty)
- **rustic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rustic-vs-rusty)
- **rustle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rustle-vs-rusty)

## Common misspellings (8)
`rrusty`, `rsuty`, `russty`, `rustty`, `rustyy`, `rusyt`, `rutsy`, `ursty`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/rusty