crusty

[ kruhs-tee ]

adjective

, crust·i·er, crust·i·est.

1. having a crisp or thick crust:

   a loaf of crusty French bread.

2. of the nature of or resembling a crust.
3. harsh; surly; rude:

   a crusty remark.

   Synonyms: brusque, curt, touchy, prickly, testy

crusty

/ ˈkrʌstɪ /

adjective

1. having or characterized by a crust, esp having a thick crust
2. having a rude or harsh character or exterior; surly; curt

   a crusty remark

noun

1. slang.
   a dirty type of punk or hippy whose lifestyle involves travelling and squatting

Derived Forms

• ˈcrustily, adverb
• ˈcrustiness, noun

Other Words From

• crusti·ly adverb
• crusti·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of crusty¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; crust, -y ¹

Example Sentences

I imagine that when you imagine a TV critic, you picture some hard-boiled, crusty, even heartless type.

From Los Angeles Times

Photos and videos of Kruse’s dogs with bleeding open wounds, decaying teeth and crusty infected eyes are documented in federal inspection reports.

From Los Angeles Times

Wide-eyed, wild-haired, and disheveled, Keaton's crusty trickster still invokes the patron demon of late-stage crack addiction, bringing with him the same wily unpredictability that made him such a hoot last time.

From Salon

Imagine a darkened, cramped room that looks like someone’s garage filled with old clothes, crusty leaves, an assortment of footwear and broken machinery.

From Los Angeles Times

But this will now be replaced with sandwiches, corn dogs, pizza and "Hot Pockets" - crusty turnovers filled with cheese, meat and vegetables.

From BBC

Related Words

• brusque
• cranky
• gruff
• irascible
• prickly
• sarcastic