Definition of: rustic

(rus′tik) adjective
1. Rural; hence, plain; homely: rustic garments.
2. Uncultured; rude; awkward: rustic manners.
3. Unaffected; artless: rustic simplicity.
4. Pertaining to any irregular style of work or decoration appropriate to the country or to work in natural, unpolished wood.
—noun
1. One who lives in the country; a country person of simple manners or character; also, a coarse or clownish person.
2. Rusticwork.
3. Country dialect. [<F rustique <L rusticus <rus country]
—rus′ti·cal·ly adverb Synonyms (adj.): agricultural, artless, awkward, boorish, bucolic, clownish, coarse, countrified, country, hoydenish, inelegant, outlandish, pastoral, plain, rude, rural, sylvan, uncouth, unpolished, unsophisticated, untaught, verdant. Rural refers especially to scenes or objects in the country, considered as the work of nature; rustic refers to their effect upon man or to their condition as affected by human agency; as, a rural scene; a rustic party; a rustic lass. We speak, however, of the rural population, rural simplicity, etc. Rural has always a favorable sense; rustic often an unfavorable one, as denoting lack of culture and refinement; thus, rustic politeness expresses that which is well–meant, but awkward. Rustic is, however, often used of a studied simplicity, an artistic rudeness, which is pleasing and perhaps beautiful; as, a rustic cottage. Pastoral refers to the care of flocks and to the shepherd's life with the pleasing associations suggested by the old poetic ideal of that life; as, pastoral poetry. Bucolic is kindred to pastoral, but is a less elevated term, and sometimes slightly contemptuous. Antonyms: accomplished, cultured, elegant, polished, polite, refined, urban, urbane.