rustle

rustle — verb

1. to make a soft light brushing sound, like the noise of dry leaves, paper, or fab

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to make a soft light brushing sound, like the noise of dry leaves, paper, or fabric rubbing together when they move.

例句

The dry leaves rustled under Bilal's feet as he walked through the park.

intransitive: leaves as subject

The wind rustled the pages of the notebook on the wooden desk.

transitive: wind rustles object

同義詞
  • crackle

    sharper and more brittle than rustle, like thin ice breaking or a fire starting

  • swish

    smoother and more continuous than rustle, like a broom on a floor

  • whisper

    softer and breathier, often poetic; associated with wind through grass or human speech

反義詞
  • silence

    complete absence of any sound

文法句型

rustle (no object): leaves/paper rustle

rustle + noun phrase: wind rustles the leaves

用法筆記

Subject is typically something light and dry such as leaves, paper, or fabric. The verb works both transitively (someone rustles something) and intransitively (something rustles).

常見錯誤

❌The leaves whispered in the wind.' (when describing the sound of dry movement).
✅The leaves rustled in the wind.
💡'whisper' is for human speech or breathy wind sounds; 'rustle' is the specific dry sound of paper or leaves brushing together.

2. to secretly take farm animals such as cattle, horses, or sheep that belong to so

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to secretly take farm animals such as cattle, horses, or sheep that belong to someone else.

例句

The gang was caught trying to rustle cattle from a ranch in Texas at night.

passive: be caught + rustling

In the old Western films, outlaws often tried to rustle horses from local farms.

同義詞
  • steal

    general term for taking something without permission; not restricted to animals

  • poach

    to illegally hunt or catch wildlife (not domestic livestock)

  • thieve

    formal or literary term for stealing; no restriction to farm animals

文法句型

rustle + noun phrase: rustle cattle/horses/sheep

用法筆記

This sense is restricted to the theft of livestock in rural or agricultural settings. A person who commits this crime is called a 'rustler'. This meaning has a different historical origin from the sound-related sense.

常見錯誤

❌He rustled some money from my bag.' (using 'rustle' for general theft).
✅The thieves rustled cattle from the ranch.
💡'rustle' in this sense only applies to farm animals, not to general stealing.

rustle — noun