moldy

adjective

ˈmōl-dē 

moldier; moldiest

1

: of, resembling, or covered with mold

2

a

: being old and moldering : crumbling

b

: antiquated, fusty

moldy tradition

moldiness noun

Examples of moldy in a Sentence

Her books became moldy after being left in a damp basement.

The wine had a slightly moldy aroma.

Recent Examples on the Web

For extra-stubborn (or white) grout, pull out a bleach pen or heavy-duty grout cleaner for moldy spots that fight back. —Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2025

Usually, food that has expired or gone moldy, like old leftovers or moldy produce, is the culprit to bad smells. —Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 30 June 2025

In the walk-in cooler, the inspector found housemade green salsa held in a Home Depot bucket, along with moldy strawberries. —Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 27 June 2025

The wider sweeps are stressing the capacity of the detention system, where detainees have reported moldy food, dirty towels and no changes of clothes for more than a week at a time. —Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for moldy

• mouldy
• soldi

Kids Definition

moldy

adjective

ˈmōl-dē 

moldier; moldiest

: resembling, containing, or covered with mold

moldiness noun

Medical Definition

moldy

adjective

variants or chiefly British mouldy

ˈmōl-dē 

moldier or chiefly British mouldier; mouldiest

: covered with a mold-producing fungus

moldy bread