crusty

adjective

ˈkrə-stē 

crustier; crustiest

1

: having or being a crust

2

: giving an effect of surly incivility in address or disposition

crustily

ˈkrə-stə-lē 

adverb

crustiness

ˈkrə-stē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• abrupt
• bluff
• blunt
• brusque
• brusk
• curt
• downright
• short
• short-spoken
• snippy
• unceremonious

Choose the Right Synonym for crusty

bluff, blunt, brusque, curt, crusty, gruff mean abrupt and unceremonious in speech and manner.

bluff connotes good-natured outspokenness and unconventionality.

a bluff manner

blunt suggests directness of expression in disregard of others' feelings.

a blunt appraisal

brusque applies to a sharpness or ungraciousness.

a brusque response

curt implies disconcerting shortness or rude conciseness.

a curt command

crusty suggests a harsh or surly manner sometimes concealing an inner kindliness.

a crusty exterior

gruff suggests a hoarse or husky speech which may imply bad temper but more often implies embarrassment or shyness.

puts on a gruff pose

Examples of crusty in a Sentence

a basket of warm, crusty bread

We could see deer tracks in the crusty snow bank.

Recent Examples on the Web

Nearby, there’s always a line out the door of Bread 41 either to buy their crusty organic breads to take home or the sausage rolls and array of pastries to sample in one of the tables. —Laurie Werner, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

Another Vietnamese staple is banh mi, a crusty baguette typically filled with pork or chicken, pate, and pickled carrot and daikon radish. —Catherine Garcia, theweek, 11 Nov. 2024

This trio is an excellent match for your lip liner-wiz bestie looking to toss the crusty drugstore pencil at the bottom of her makeup bag. —Annie Blackman, Allure, 5 Nov. 2024

Many of his masterpieces exist within the tension between his crusty old man persona and his undeniable ability to put himself in the shoes of the people his characters claim to hate. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

crusty

adjective

ˈkrəs-tē 

crustier; crustiest

1

: having or being a crust

2

: cross entry 3 sense 3

crustiness noun