Meanings
present singular third person rustles · participle present rustling · participle past rustled · past rustled
- ergativeTo move (something) with a soft crackling sound.
The next day at three o'clock we were again at the door, and the footmen as before; we heard the silk dress rustle, and the lady came down the steps and in an imperious voice, she said, "York, you must put those horses' heads higher, they are not fit to be seen."
[1877], Anna Sewell, “Earlshall”, in Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], →OCLC, part II, page 104 - transitiveTo make or obtain in a lively, energetic way.
When at last the lumber was piled again in its rightful place, and the boxes of food had been returned to the shelter from which they had been stolen, the two friends rustled a meal, and then set off on horseback […]
1921, William M. McCoy, The Valley of the Sun, page 48Synonyms: rustle up
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo make or obtain in a lively, energetic way.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Englishhrūxlian
- Middle Englishrustelen
- Englishrustle
From Middle English rustelen, russelen, of uncertain origin, but probably from Old English hrūxlian, hristlan, hrystlan, hristlian (“to make a noise”). Compare also Scots reesle (“to crackle; rattle; rustle”), West Frisian risselje, Dutch ritselen (“to rustle”), Afrikaans ritsel (“to rustle”), German rascheln (“to rustle”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic حَفِيف
- حَفِيف (ḥafīf)soft crackling sound
Bulgarian шумолене, шумоля
- шумолене (šumolene)soft crackling sound
- шумоля (šumolja)to move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- крада добитък (krada dobităk)to steal cattle or other livestock
Czech šustot, šustit
- šustotsoft crackling sound
- šustitto move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- krást dobytekto steal cattle or other livestock
Dutch geritsel, ritselen
- geritselsoft crackling sound
- ritselensoft crackling sound
- ritselento move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- ruisento move (something) with a soft crackling sound
Esperanto susuro
- susurosoft crackling sound
Finnish kahina, kahisuttaa
- kahinasoft crackling sound
- kahisuttaato move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- varastaato steal cattle or other livestock
French bruissement, froufrou
- bruissementsoft crackling sound
- froufrousoft crackling sound
- froufrouterto move (something) with a soft crackling sound
German Rascheln, Rauschen
- Raschelnsoft crackling sound
- Rauschensoft crackling sound
- Knisternsoft crackling sound
- raschelnto move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- rauschento move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- knisternto move (something) with a soft crackling sound
Hebrew אִוְשָׁה, רשרש
- אִוְשָׁה (ivshá)soft crackling sound
- רשרש (rishrésh)to move (something) with a soft crackling sound
Hungarian nesz, zörej
- neszsoft crackling sound
- zörejsoft crackling sound
- zizegto move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- suhogto move (something) with a soft crackling sound
Icelandic skrjáf, þrusk
- skrjáfsoft crackling sound
- þrusksoft crackling sound
- skrjáfato move (something) with a soft crackling sound
Italian crepitare, frusciare
- crepitareto move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- frusciareto move (something) with a soft crackling sound
Korean 부스럭, 바스락
- 부스럭 (buseureok)soft crackling sound
- 바스락 (baseurak)soft crackling sound
Māori ngaehe, wawara
- ngaehesoft crackling sound
- wawarasoft crackling sound
- ngahehesoft crackling sound
- kikihito move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- tihitihito move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- rorowhioto move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- oraorato move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- warato move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- wawarato move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- ngaeheto move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- ngaheheto move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- tāhae kauto steal cattle or other livestock
- tāhae hipito steal cattle or other livestock
Persian شرفه
- شرفه (šarfe)soft crackling sound
Polish szelest, szeleścić
- szelestsoft crackling sound
- szeleścićto move (something) with a soft crackling sound
Portuguese farfalhar, frufru
- farfalharsoft crackling sound
- frufrusoft crackling sound
- farfalharto move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- frufrulharto move (something) with a soft crackling sound
Romanian freamăt, foșnire
- freamătsoft crackling sound
- foșniresoft crackling sound
- foșnito move (something) with a soft crackling sound
Russian ше́лест, шурша́ние
- ше́лест (šélest)soft crackling sound
- шурша́ние (šuršánije)soft crackling sound
- шо́рох (šórox)soft crackling sound
- шелесте́ть (šelestétʹ)to move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- шурша́ть (šuršátʹ)to move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- уводи́ть (uvodítʹ)to steal cattle or other livestock
Spanish crujido
- crujidosoft crackling sound
Swedish prassel, rassel
- prasselsoft crackling sound
- rasselsoft crackling sound
Tagalog kulos
- kulossoft crackling sound
Turkish hışırtı, hışırdamak
- hışırtısoft crackling sound
- hışırdamakto move (something) with a soft crackling sound
Ukrainian шелест, шарудіння
- шелест (šelest)soft crackling sound
- шарудіння (šarudinnja)soft crackling sound
- шелестіти (šelestity)to move (something) with a soft crackling sound
- шарудіти (šarudity)to move (something) with a soft crackling sound
Vietnamese lao xao
- lao xaosoft crackling sound
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with rustle
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
rustle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rustle
“rustle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rustle. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rustle,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rustle.
Source: rustle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.