WordGarden.iorustle
C1Pronunciation
UK
- /rˈʌsəl/
US
- /ˈrəsəl/
Meanings
Verb
to make or move with a soft dry crackling sound
to steal livestock such as cattle or horses
Noun
a soft dry crackling sound
Beyond the definition
Think of autumn leaves skittering across the pavement - that's a rustle. It is the soft, dry sound you hear when leaves, paper, cloth, or grass move and brush against each other. The word can also describe that kind of light movement itself. In everyday English, you will also hear rustle up, which means to quickly prepare or find something, often a simple meal. It gives a feeling of quiet movement and a little quick action.
Imagine walking through a forest on a crisp autumn day. The leaves around you do not just crunch - they rustle. That soft, dry, whispering sound is the heart of this word. To rustle means to make a light sound like paper, dry leaves, grass, or silk moving against each other. It can also mean to move with that same soft sound. For example: "The wind made the papers on his desk rustle."
There is also the common phrase rustle up. If you rustle up a meal, you prepare it quickly, often from whatever you have on hand. You can also rustle up help, support, or a few supplies, meaning you manage to gather them quickly. This use keeps the idea of quick, practical action.
The word also has an older meaning connected with stealing animals, especially cattle or horses. In stories about the American West, rustlers were thieves who stole livestock. That meaning still appears in history books and westerns, but it is not the main everyday use now.
So whether you are hearing the trees move in the wind or quickly making a simple dinner, rustle suggests soft sound, light movement, or quick preparation.
Examples
- 1
Leaves
The dry leaves rustled in the wind.
- 2
Searching
She rustled the papers in her bag, trying to find her passport.
- 3
Upstairs noise
I could hear someone rustling around upstairs.
- Phraserustle around
move things and make soft noises
- 4
Hidden animal
There was a sudden rustle in the bushes, and then a rabbit ran out.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Quick meal
Can you rustle up something for dinner before the shops close?
- Phraserustle up
find or make something quickly
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- rustlenounverb
Forms
- rustling-ing formverbnoun
- rustledpast tenseverbnoun
- rustlesverbnoun