What does "crusty" mean?
A tramp or homeless young person with poor cleanliness.
Crusty
/ˈkɹʌsti/ adj, noun, slang
adj, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A tramp or homeless young person with poor cleanliness.
- Grammar: crusty is listed as adj, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: crusted, gruff, abrupt, aggressive.
- Useful contrasts: amiable, even, friendly.
- Usage evidence: “When you’re going to a pastry shop or a bakery, there is excitement, like 'let’s go get a treat or a crusty bread',” he says. “I don’t want to take away any of this experience. "
How to use "crusty"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "crusty" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "crusty" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "crusty" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "crusty" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "crusty" is acting as adj, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "crusted" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "crusty", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A tramp or homeless young person with poor cleanliness. British, informal
- 2 Dried eye mucus. slang
"Against the backdrop of muted stripes of color, Julieanne picked at her eyes’ crusties, and then combed her hair with the hand."
- 3 A member of an urban subculture with roots in punk and grebo, characterized by antiestablishment attitudes and an unkempt appearance. Ireland, UK, informal
"The Spirals are part of the crossover between the rave scene and the ‘crusty’ subculture—crusties being squat-dwelling anarcho-hippy-punk types named after their matted dreadlocks and post-apocalyptic garb."
- 4 Dried blood or serous fluid buildup following body piercing. slang
"Actually, I usually don't see crusties for up to a week after a new pierce, it takes some time before a new pierce is in that stage when it's actively pushing out dead skin cells and other gunk."
Adjective
- 1 Having a crust, especially a thick one.
"No one was there. But there was a cloth spread upon the table that stood against the wall, and a cover was laid for one, with a crusty brown loaf and a bottle of wine beside the plate"
- 2 Short-tempered and gruff but, sometimes, with a harmless or benign inner nature. figuratively, informal
"However kindly a friend may otherwise be, he soon turns crusty if asked to lend money."
- 3 Of very low quality; crude visuals or harsh, granular sound. informal
"The door opened with a crusty squeak that echoed in the silent room."
Adjective
- 1 brusque and surly and forbidding wordnet
- 2 having a hardened crust as a covering wordnet
Example
"“When you’re going to a pastry shop or a bakery, there is excitement, like 'let’s go get a treat or a crusty bread',” he says. “I don’t want to take away any of this experience. ""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "crusty"?
Common synonyms include: crusted, gruff, abrupt, aggressive, backed, barnyard.
How do you use "crusty" in a sentence?
“When you’re going to a pastry shop or a bakery, there is excitement, like 'let’s go get a treat or a crusty bread',” he says. “I don’t want to take away any of this experience. "
How do you pronounce "crusty"?
Pronounced /ˈkɹʌsti/.
Etymology
From Middle English, equivalent to crust + -y.