MEANING
To make a light, dry, repeated swishing or crackling sound as thin materials move together.
Use it for
Dry foliage, small concealed movements, and wind through vegetation.Make slight movement audible before it becomes visible.
Words that belong together
- leaves rustle
- grass rustles
- rustle in the breeze
On the page
Dry leaves rustled under the lizard.
The grass rustled as a rabbit slipped away.
A breeze rustled the birch leaves above their heads.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- rustle / rustles
- Past tense
- rustled
- Past participle
- rustled
- Present participle
- rustling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- rustle / rustles
- Present continuous
- am/is/are rustling
- Present perfect
- have/has rustled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been rustling
- Past
- rustled
- Past continuous
- was/were rustling
- Past perfect
- had rustled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been rustling
- Future
- will rustle / rustles
- Future continuous
- will be rustling
- Future perfect
- will have rustled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been rustling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: environment. Typical of leaves or grasses; distinct from a deep rumble or one sharp crack. Verb [base, third-person, past, past participle, -ing]: rustle, rustles, rustled, rustled, rustling.
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