Hustle vs. Rustle — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 19, 2024
Hustle means to move energetically or to work hard, often implying urgency. Rustle refers to a soft, light sound made by things like leaves or paper moving gently.
Difference Between Hustle and Rustle
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
Hustle implies vigorous activity or energetic effort, often associated with working hard, moving quickly, or pushing oneself to achieve something. It can be used in contexts like business, sports, or everyday life to denote a driven and proactive attitude. Rustle, in contrast, describes a gentle sound made by light materials such as leaves, papers, or fabric when they move or are disturbed. This term is often used to evoke a sense of subtle movement or the quiet sounds of nature.
Hustle can also imply a sense of urgency or the act of persuading someone aggressively, as in sales. For example, "He had to hustle to finish the project on time." Rustle, however, is more passive and auditory-focused, like "The leaves rustle in the wind," indicating a serene and natural sound rather than an action or effort.
In sports, hustle is often used to praise someone who shows great energy and determination, e.g., "The player’s hustle on the field was impressive." Rustle typically doesn't carry any implication of effort or intention, being more about the ambient noise created by movement.
Hustle can sometimes carry a negative connotation when referring to illicit activities or aggressive persuasion, like "He was caught hustling people on the street." Rustle, by contrast, remains neutral and descriptive, purely referencing sound without any implication of intent or morality.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Vigorous activity or energetic effort
Soft, light sound of movement
ADVERTISEMENT
Context
Work, sports, urgency, persuasion
Nature, light materials, subtle movement
Connotation
Energetic, sometimes aggressive
Serene, natural
Example Use
"He had to hustle to meet the deadline."
"The leaves rustle in the breeze."
Associated Action
Hard work, quick movement
Gentle, slight disturbance
Compare with Definitions
Hustle
To push or force one’s way.
The crowd hustled to get closer to the stage.
Rustle
To make a soft, light sound due to movement.
The wind rustled the dry leaves.
Hustle
Push roughly; jostle
They were hissed and hustled as they went in
Rustle
To forage for food or resources quietly.
The animals rustled through the underbrush.
Hustle
Obtain illicitly or by forceful action
Linda hustled money from men she met
Rustle
To move or act quickly and lightly.
She rustled up some dinner in no time.
Hustle
Engage in prostitution
She would hustle for a few dollars
Rustle
To move with soft fluttering or crackling sounds
The leaves rustled in the breeze.
Hustle
A state of great activity
The hustle and bustle of the big cities
Rustle
To move or act energetically or while making such sounds
Mice rustled across the floor.
Hustle
A fraud or swindle
The hustles being used to avoid the draft
Rustle
To steal livestock, especially cattle.
Hustle
To move or act energetically and rapidly
We hustled to get dinner ready on time.
Rustle
To cause to rustle
Rustled the newspaper.
Hustle
To push or force one's way.
Rustle
To obtain or produce by energetic effort
Rustled up some food in the kitchen.
Hustle
To act aggressively, especially in business dealings.
Rustle
To steal (livestock, especially cattle).
Hustle
To obtain something by deceitful or illicit means; practice theft or swindling.
Rustle
A soft crackling sound similar to the movement of dry leaves.
Hustle
To solicit customers. Used of a pimp or prostitute.
Rustle
A movement producing such a sound.
Hustle
To misrepresent one's ability in order to deceive someone, especially in gambling.
Rustle
(ergative) To move (something) with a soft crackling sound.
Hustle
To push or convey in a hurried or rough manner
Hustled the prisoner into a van.
Rustle
(transitive) To make or obtain in a lively, energetic way.
Rustle up
Hustle
To cause or urge to proceed quickly; hurry
Hustled the board into a quick decision.
Rustle
(transitive) To steal (cattle or other livestock).
Hustle
To sell or get by questionable or aggressive means
Hustled stolen watches.
Hustling spare change.
Rustle
To make a quick succession of small sounds, like the rubbing or moving of silk cloth or dry leaves.
He is coming; I hear his straw rustle.
Prouder than rustling in unpaid-for silk.
Hustle
To pressure into buying or doing something
A barfly hustling the other customers for drinks.
Rustle
To stir about energetically; to strive to succeed; to bustle about.
Hustle
To misrepresent one's skill in (a game or activity) in order to deceive someone, especially in gambling
Hustle pool.
Rustle
To steal; - used of livestock and esp. of cattle.
Hustle
The act or an instance of jostling or shoving.
Rustle
To cause to rustle; as, the wind rustles the leaves.
Hustle
Energetic activity; drive.
Rustle
A quick succession or confusion of small sounds, like those made by shaking leaves or straw, by rubbing silk, or the like; a rustling.
When the noise of a torrent, the rustle of a wood, the song of birds, or the play of lambs, had power to fill the attention, and suspend all perception of the course of time.
Hustle
(Slang) An illicit or unethical way of doing business or obtaining money; a fraud or deceit
"the most dangerous and wide-open drug hustle of them all" (Newsweek).
Rustle
The light noise like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind
Hustle
To push someone roughly; to crowd; to jostle.
Rustle
Make a dry crackling sound;
Rustling silk
The dry leaves were rustling in the breeze
Hustle
(intransitive) To rush or hurry.
I'll have to hustle to get there on time.
Rustle
Take illegally;
Rustle cattle
Hustle
(transitive) To bundle; to stow something quickly.
Rustle
To cause something to move and make a rustling sound.
He rustled the papers on his desk.
Hustle
(transitive) To con, swindle, or deceive; especially financially.
The guy tried to hustle me into buying into a bogus real estate deal.
Rustle
The sound itself made by such movement.
There was a rustle in the bushes.
Hustle
To play deliberately badly at a game or sport in an attempt to encourage players to challenge.
Hustle
(informal) To obtain by illicit or forceful action.
Hustle
(informal) To sell sex; to work as a pimp.
Hustle
(informal) To be a prostitute; to exchange use of one's body for sexual purposes for money.
Hustle
To dance the hustle, a disco dance.
Hustle
(informal) To work.
Hustle
(informal) To put a lot of effort into one's work.
Hustle
A state of busy activity.
Hustle
A propensity to work hard and get things done; ability to hustle.
Hustle
(preceded by definite article) A type of disco dance, commonly danced to the Van McCoy song The Hustle.
Hustle
(prison slang) An activity, such as prostitution or reselling stolen items, that a prisoner uses to earn money in prison.
Hustle
(slang) An act of prostitution.
Hustle
To shake together in confusion; to push, jostle, or crowd rudely; to handle roughly; as, to hustle a person out of a room.
Hustle
To push or crows; to force one's way; to move hustily and with confusion; a hurry.
Leaving the king, who had hustled along the floor with his dress worfully arrayed.
Hustle
A swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a person to buy worthless property
Hustle
A rapid bustling commotion
Hustle
Cause to move furtively and hurriedly;
The secret service agents hustled the speaker out of the amphitheater
Hustle
Move or cause to move energetically or busily;
The cheerleaders bustled about excitingly before their performance
Hustle
Sell something to or obtain something from by energetic and especially underhanded activity
Hustle
To move energetically or hurriedly.
She had to hustle to catch the last train.
Hustle
To work hard and persistently.
He hustled to build his business from the ground up.
Hustle
To engage in aggressive selling or marketing.
Street vendors hustled their goods to passersby.
Hustle
To obtain something through energetic effort.
She hustled a spot on the team through sheer determination.
Common Curiosities
Can hustle have a negative connotation?
Yes, hustle can sometimes imply aggressive or illicit activities, such as in aggressive sales tactics or scams.
Is rustle associated with any specific sound?
Rustle is specifically associated with soft, light sounds, often from natural or gentle movements.
How is hustle used in sports?
In sports, hustle describes vigorous and determined effort, often praised for showing dedication and energy.
Is hustle always about physical movement?
No, hustle can also refer to hard work or energetic effort in non-physical contexts, such as business or creative endeavors.
What does hustle mean?
Hustle means to move energetically or work hard with urgency or determination.
How can hustle be used in a sentence?
e.g., She had to hustle to get all her work done before the deadline.
Is hustle a positive term?
Hustle can be positive, indicating hard work and determination, but can also be negative in contexts involving aggressive behavior.
Does rustle imply urgency?
No, rustle implies a gentle, often natural sound without any sense of urgency.
What does rustle mean?
Rustle refers to a soft, light sound made by things like leaves, paper, or fabric when they move gently.
How can rustle be used in a sentence?
e.g., The gentle rustle of the curtains indicated a breeze coming through the window.
Is rustle used in a negative context?
Rustle is typically neutral or positive, describing a natural or pleasant sound.
Can hustle mean to hurry?
Yes, hustle often means to move or act quickly with a sense of urgency.
Can rustle describe any type of movement?
Rustle describes light, subtle movements that produce a soft sound, typically involving materials like leaves or paper.
Can rustle be used to describe people?
Rustle is rarely used to describe people directly but can describe the sounds made by their actions, like rustling papers.
Can hustle refer to obtaining something?
Yes, hustle can mean to obtain something through energetic effort or cunning.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Education vs. Upbringing
Next Comparison
Jointing vs. PointingAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
