rustic Hear it!

rustic Definition

rus·tic (rustik)

adjective

  1. of or living in the country, as distinguished from cities or towns; rural
  2. lacking refinement, elegance, polish, or sophistication; specif.,
    1. simple, plain, or artless
    2. rough, awkward, uncouth, or boorish
  3. made of rough, bark-covered branches or roots rustic furniture
  4. Masonry having a rough surface or irregular, deeply sunk, deliberately conspicuous joints; rusticated

Etymology: LME rustyk < MFr rustique < L rusticus < rus, the country: see rural

noun

a country person, esp. one regarded as unsophisticated, simple, awkward, uncouth, etc.

rustic Related Forms

rus·ti·cally adverb rus·tic·ity (-tisə tē) noun

rustic Synonyms

rustic

modif.

  1. Rural

    agricultural, pastoral, agrarian; see rural.

  2. Boorish

    countrified, provincial, unsophisticated, rude, uncouth, unpolished, inelegant, awkward, coarse, rough, dull, loutish, lubberly, clownish, ungainly, lumpish, ignorant, uneducated.

    Antonyms cultured*, refined*, sophisticated. *

  3. Suggesting the idyllic qualities of rural places or people

    sylvan, verdant, unadorned, idyllic, bucolic, artless, simple, plain, honest, unsophisticated, pleasing, charming, picturesque, pastoral, natural, unaffected, sturdy; see also pleasant 2.

    Antonyms complex*, urbane*, sophisticated. See syn. study at rural.rural.

rustic Usage Examples

Converse of object

have: Has a rustic, lived in, rural feel.

Adjective modifier

  • simple: Set in a simple rustic, yet mechanically advanced world.
  • little: My memory says they were big, mouth filling characterful wines that were a little rustic.
  • more: For a more rustic look they can be antiqued.
  • charming: It's a world of charming rustics, sinister barons and wicked, wicked stepmothers.

Modifies a noun

  • charm: You have been warned: Rustic charms come in many guises!
  • idyll: The Independent May 13th 2004 Is it really possible for a city dweller to create a rustic idyll in their back garden?
  • farmhouse: Choose from manor houses and mansions to rustic farmhouses and cottages, with villas abroad.
  • simplicity: True, Tchaikovsky wanted his Pushkin opera to be staged with rustic simplicity.
  • ambiance: The cottages retain a traditional, rustic French ambiance.
  • inn: Your overnight stop is in a rustic inn at the heart of a Thames village.

Modifying Another Word

  • charmingly: It's set in a charmingly rustic village in Yorkshire and centers around three couples prominent in the community.
  • typically: Enjoy what is typically rustic French combined with modern facilities.
  • rather: The fan assists with the baking process but produces a rather rustic uneven top crust.
  • quite: Most of Pila's hotels are ski-in/ski-out, and some of them can be quite rustic, which appeals to many visitors.
  • very: Overnight in a very rustic hotel in San Juan.
  • attractively: Both are attractively rustic, the first lively with concentrated smooth honey flavors, the second more mature.

Noun used with modifier

bit: Thus, although its amenities may be a bit rustic, the Green Tortoise attends assiduously to a wide variety of desirable creature comforts.

Used with adjective complement

look: It is of steel girder construction but still looks quite rustic because of its timber balustrade.

Preposition: in

style: The high-quality gîtes, which are rustic in style, are 2 kilometers from the riding center.

Browse dictionary entries near rustic

  1. rust-colored
  2. Rust Belt
  3. rust
  4. Russophile
  5. Russo-
  6. Russki
  7. Russify
  8. Russianize
  9. Russian wolfhound
  10. Russian Turkestan
  1. rustical
  2. rusticate
  3. Rustin
  4. rustle
  5. rustle up
  6. rustler
  7. rustling
  8. rustproof
  9. rusty
  10. rut