arrugginito
/ar.rud.d͡ʒiˈni.to/
The Italian word for rusty (as in lacking recent experience or out of practice) is arrugginito.
In Italian, arrugginito can be used in the same way as in English. It can describe a physical object that has developed rust, or it can be used metaphorically to describe skills or a language that you have not used for some time.
Meaning: lacking recent experience, out of practice (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word arrugginito is the past participle of the verb arrugginire, which means 'to rust'.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, arrugginito must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Use arrugginita for the feminine singular, arrugginiti for the masculine plural and arrugginite for the feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/ar.rud.dʒiˈni.to/. The word has 5 syllables and the stress is on the 4th syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italian, the word ruggine for 'rust' is also used in the expression togliere la ruggine, which means to shake off the rust or get back into the swing of things.
- Unlike English, where 'rusty' can sometimes mean 'reddish-brown' in a fashion context, arrugginito almost always implies decay or neglect in Italian.
- If you want to say you are 'out of practice' without using the metaphor of rust, you can use the phrase essere fuori forma, which literally means 'to be out of shape'.
Examples in context
- È un po' arrugginito.He's a little rusty.This sentence is useful for describing someone who is slightly out of practice using arrugginito.Tatoeba #3414540 by Guybrush88, translation #1183836 by Scott
- Quel coltello è arrugginito.That knife is rusty.This sentence shows how to describe a physical object that is rusty using arrugginito.Tatoeba #11490447 by Guybrush88, translation #10473016 by CK
- Il mio spagnolo è arrugginito.My Spanish is rusty.This sentence shows how to use the term metaphorically for a language using arrugginito.Tatoeba #9708489 by Guybrush88, translation #9194487 by DJ_Saidez
- Non ho mai visto una bicicletta così rugginosa!I've never seen such a rusty bicycle!
- Da quando ho smesso di lavorare in quel campo, il mio know-how è diventato un po' impolverato.Since I stopped working in that field, my know-how has become a bit dusty.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Sofia are talking about playing the piano.
- FrancescoSuoni ancora il pianoforte?Do you still play the piano?
- SofiaSì, ma sono un po' arrugginito.Yes, but I'm a bit rusty.
- FrancescoPotremmo suonare insieme sabato.We could play together on Saturday.
- SofiaOttima idea, ho bisogno di fare pratica.Great idea, I need to practice.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rusty” translations and entries arrugginito, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
