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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.

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

Irregular, varied layers of colored dots frame an immense, crusty center expanse with a flourish of widely spaced dots against ocher.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

Mr. James also has a challenging role as the crusty salt who curses “dat ole davil sea” almost as many times as Hickey drones on about “pipe dreams” in “The Iceman Cometh.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 14, 2025

I tore through half a bottle in a week—drizzling it over salads, spooning it onto seafood, and, of course, dunking torn-up hunks of crusty French bread.

From Salon • Dec. 4, 2025

She saw and smelled roasted chicken and warm, crusty bread scattered with seeds.

From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.