Rusty
/ˈrʌsti/
adjectiveB1
Definition
Rusty means covered with rust, which is a reddish-brown layer that appears on metal when it reacts with water and air over time. It also describes when a person’s ability or skill is weak or not fresh because they have not done it for a long time.
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See It in Action
Covered with rust (the reddish-brown metal decay)
- •The old bike was rusty after being outside all winter.
- •The metal gate is rusty and hard to open.
- •Rusty nails can be dangerous if you step on them.
Skill or knowledge not fresh or practiced recently
- •I’m a bit rusty at playing the piano because I haven’t practiced.
- •After a year without driving, she felt rusty behind the wheel.
- •His French is rusty since he stopped studying it.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "rusty" like "old," but more specific—it means something is old and has a rough, red-brown surface from metal decay.
- ✓Picture an old bicycle left outside in the rain with red-brown spots on the metal parts.
- ✓It's the feeling when you try to play a game you haven't played in years, and you make small mistakes because you forgot some rules.
- ✓Sounds like "rusty" → imagine a rusty door creaking loudly when you open it.
- ✓Remember the phrase "rusty skills," like when someone says, "I’m rusty at speaking English" after not practicing.
- ✓NOT like "dirty" (covered with dirt or dust), rusty is a specific kind of dirt that forms chemically on metal.
- ✓NOT like "new" or "shiny"—rusty is the opposite; it shows age and wear.
- ✓Rusty skills happen because of lack of practice, not because the person never learned them.
Try Other Words
- •Corroded: metal eaten away by chemical reaction (Use when focusing on metal damage, more formal)
- •Unpracticed: skill not used recently (Use when talking about skills or knowledge, not metal)
- •Worn: used a lot and showing signs of age (Use for objects or skills that are old but not necessarily rusty)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: Root "rust" + suffix "-y" meaning "having" or "full of"
- •Etymology: From Old English "rust" meaning reddish-brown iron oxide, plus "-y" to describe something having rust
- •Historical development: Used since Middle Ages to describe metal affected by rust; later extended to describe weak skills
- •Modern usage: Commonly used for metal objects with rust and to describe people’s skills that are not sharp due to lack of practice
Reflect & Connect
•Can something be rusty but still useful? How do you decide when to fix or replace rusty things?
•How does being rusty in a skill feel different from never learning it at all?
Fill in the blanks
1.The old bicycle was rusty because it had been ___ outside in the rain for months.
2.After not playing basketball for a year, he felt ___ and missed many shots.
3.Rusty metal can be dangerous because it is ___ and weak.
4.She said her English was rusty since she hadn’t ___ speaking it regularly.
5.Unlike clean and shiny tools, rusty tools often ___ and are hard to use.
6.When a person is rusty at a skill, they usually need some ___ to get better again.
7.The gate was rusty, so it made a loud ___ when someone tried to open it.