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Definitions

crusty

[kruhs-tee] / ˈkrʌs ti /
ADJECTIVE
irritable, often due to old age
Synonyms
STRONGEST
brusque cranky gruff irascible prickly sarcastic
WEAK
abrupt bluff blunt brief cantankerous captious choleric crabbed crabby cross curt dour harsh ill-humored peevish saturnine scornful short short-tempered snappish snarling snippety snippy splenetic surly testy touchy vinegary
Antonyms
STRONGEST
cheerful happy kind nice pleasant polite
WEAK
flexible pliable pliant soft soggy
ADJECTIVE
brittle on outside
Synonyms
STRONGEST
crisp crispy
WEAK
crunchy friable hard short well-baked well-done
Antonyms
WEAK
cheerful flexible happy nice pleasant pliable pliant soft soggy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Similar to onions and a hollowed loaf of crusty bread, you most definitely can stuff a tomato.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

There is no proven link between the "uniquely colourful and crusty" speeches of former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte and the murders he is accused of, his defence lawyer told the International Criminal Court on Thursday.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

Matijevich recommends enjoying bowls of clam chowder with your favorite crusty bread, like focaccia or toasted slices of baguette.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

Fischbach wrote, directed, edited and starred as the main character who is mostly alone on-screen inside the crusty submarine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

We all scooped soup up with our crusty Persian bread, while Babou interviewed Laleh in Farsi.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram