Synonym Chooser

How is the word fusty distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of fusty are fetid, malodorous, musty, noisome, putrid, rank, and stinking. While all these words mean "bad-smelling," 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

When can malodorous be used instead of fusty?

While the synonyms malodorous and fusty are close in meaning, malodorous may range from the unpleasant to the strongly offensive.

malodorous fertilizers

Where would noisome be a reasonable alternative to fusty?

The meanings of noisome and fusty largely overlap; however, noisome adds a suggestion of being harmful or unwholesome as well as offensive.

a stagnant, noisome sewer

When is it sensible to use putrid instead of fusty?

The synonyms putrid and fusty are sometimes interchangeable, but putrid implies particularly the sickening odor of decaying organic matter.

the putrid smell of rotting fish

When would rank be a good substitute for fusty?

In some situations, the words rank and fusty are roughly equivalent. However, rank suggests a strong unpleasant smell.

rank cigar smoke

How are the words stinking and fetid related as synonyms of fusty?

Both stinking and fetid suggest the foul or disgusting.

prisoners were held in stinking cells
the fetid odor of skunk cabbage

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fusty Water damage and mold marked the ornate, gilded plasterwork, and paint—in a fusty Empire red—was peeling off the walls. Alice Cavanagh, Architectural Digest, 17 Dec. 2024 Blues was considered fusty, old granddaddy music, but a new generation of young Austin artists and fans became enamored with the sound. Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Apr. 2024 The piece deepened the fault lines between Friedrich, the Romantic prince of sublimity and feeling, and the fusty rationalists who preceded him. Zachary Fine, The New Yorker, 28 June 2024 The deliciously macabre displays of taxidermy are a highlight, but the museum also manages to avoid feeling too fusty by bringing in contemporary artists to produce works in conversation with its collections, from Sterling Ruby to Jeff Koons. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 16 June 2024 See All Example Sentences for fusty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fusty
Adjective
  • This is about a team with a top-10 payroll whose GM committed too stinking much of it to dogs that can’t, or won’t, pull the sled.
    Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2019
  • Muttaiah said the man inside the stinking manhole was working without any safety equipment — no gloves, no shoes, no supplemental oxygen.
    Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2019
Adjective
  • The fruit flavors are ripe and juicy, featuring strawberry, raspberry, and sometimes blackberry.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Especially once Hasbro took over the game from Parker Brothers, Clue became a brand ripe for licensable extension.
    Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • These initiatives elicited predictable backlash from musty corners of the Internet, where it was said that D.E.I. radicals were promoting mediocrities and trashing the canon.
    Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Other celebrities like Oprah, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Brooke Shields have also been reviving the sporty pants that have previously been reserved for workout classes and musty locker rooms.
    Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Before Brummell, the aristocracy dressed in rich, smelly materials; after, styles were adapted from military uniforms—think of the broad shoulders of a British pinstripe suit, for example.
    Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025
  • There’s nothing worse than getting out into the wilderness, away from society, and then hearing somebody one campsite over start up a loud, smelly gas generator.
    Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Public stations were expensive to maintain and quickly became dirty and malodorous.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Each lawyer, then, in his or her own way, played a part in creating a caricature: Danny, the kid in a tough situation trying his best to do the right thing; Mr. Neely, that malodorous man with schizophrenia stoking passengers’ fears on the subway.
    Adam Iscoe, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The fourth quarter was not without controversy: With 4:27 left in the game, Rockets guard Amen Thompson was ejected for a flagrant foul 2 against Giannis Antetokounmpo where he got caught in the air trying to contest Antetokounmpo’s shot and then pulled him down by his head.
    Eric Nehm, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Peavy scored 14 points before reaching the foul limit in the Jan. 11 loss to UConn.
    Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Impacted national park and forest employees say fewer workers will lead to longer lines, filthy bathrooms and unsafe hiking and camping conditions at America's precious public lands.
    Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Between sweat, body oils, dust, dirt, hair, and grime, yoga mats, weights, and treadmills can get pretty filthy.
    Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The most impressive aspect of Schlesinger’s film is its sense of place: the sunny, awesomely relaxed, fetid warmth captured by Conrad Hall’s sumptuous cinematography.
    Armond White, National Review, 31 Jan. 2025
  • Fascinating and fetid, the Salton Sea in southern California lures me back, every year.
    Dennis Hinkamp, The Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fusty. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

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