musty

adjective

ˈmə-stē 

mustier; mustiest

1

a

: impaired by damp or mildew : moldy

old musty books

musty hay

b

: tasting of mold

musty wine

c

: smelling of damp and decay : fusty

The cellar was musty.

2

a

: trite, stale

musty prose

b(1)

: antiquated

musty customs

(2)

: superannuated

musty slang

mustily

ˈmə-stə-lē 

adverb

mustiness

ˈmə-stē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• fetid
• foul
• frowsty [chiefly British]
• frowsy
• frowzy
• funky
• fusty
• malodorous
• noisome
• rank
• reeking
• reeky
• ripe
• smelly
• stenchy
• stinking
• stinky
• strong

Choose the Right Synonym for musty

malodorous, stinking, fetid, noisome, putrid, rank, fusty, musty mean bad-smelling.

malodorous may range from the unpleasant to the strongly offensive.

malodorous fertilizers

stinking and fetid suggest the foul or disgusting.

prisoners were held in stinking cells

the fetid odor of skunk cabbage

noisome adds a suggestion of being harmful or unwholesome as well as offensive.

a stagnant, noisome sewer

putrid implies particularly the sickening odor of decaying organic matter.

the putrid smell of rotting fish

rank suggests a strong unpleasant smell.

rank cigar smoke

fusty and musty suggest lack of fresh air and sunlight, fusty also implying prolonged uncleanliness, musty stressing the effects of dampness, mildew, or age.

a fusty attic

the musty odor of a damp cellar

Examples of musty in a Sentence

a dark and musty basement

the musty prose of writers who use the same expressions over and over

Recent Examples on the Web

Professional darts has transformed over the last two decades, largely guided by Hearn, from a pastime practiced in musty pubs by middle-aged men to an international phenomenon. —Claire Moses, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025

Most people old enough to remember MGAs, MGBs, MG Midgets, and, in rarer cases, the cycle-fender T-Series that started it all—featured in Two for the Road, with Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn—have relegated the storied marque to the musty garage of fading memory. —Jamie Kitman, airmail.news, 14 Dec. 2024

Though some mold growth pops out in plain sight, announcing itself through an unappealing array of new colorful splotches, there are myriad less obvious signs that mold spores are present, like musty smells, unfamiliar water stains, and even warped or disfigured materials, like wallpaper or wood. —Bridget Reed Morawski, Architectural Digest, 14 Jan. 2025

Use them to eliminate musty smells from towels, or give bedding a boost of fresh scent. —Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

must entry 4

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

musty

adjective

ˈməs-tē 

mustier; mustiest

1

a

: affected by dampness or mildew : moldy

b

: tasting or smelling of dampness and decay

2

a

: stale entry 1 sense 2, trite

musty proverbs

b

: outmoded, antiquated

musty traditions

mustiness noun