frowsty

adjective

ˈfrau̇-stē How to pronounce frowsty (audio)
Definition of frowstynext
chiefly British
as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell she wrote her first novel while living in a frowsty, mold-ridden flat

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for frowsty
  1. stinking
  2. ripe
  3. frowsy
  4. fetid
  5. filthy
  6. fusty
  7. malodorous
  8. foul
Adjective
  • America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.
    — Mary Ellen Klas, Boston Herald, 1 June 2026
  • America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.
    — Mary Ellen Klas, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
Definition of stinking
Adjective
  • With Brown, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid on the roster, James would finally have the chance, at the ripe age of 41, to be a blender and not have to shoulder the bulk of offensive responsibility.
    — Tony Jones, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • Visitors snapped selfies and likened the smell to trash rooms, rotten meat and ripe garbage.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of ripe
Adjective
  • Lenker, in plaid, rubs her eyes; James Krivchenia leans forward, sparky and alert; Meek, outdoors in the Topanga sunshine, wears cycling glasses and a frowzy hat.
    — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Before the current renovation of the franchised hotels, the rooms looked as if they were stuck in a fussy, frowsy 1980s floral rut.
    — BostonGlobe.com, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Oct. 2019
Definition of frowsy
Adjective
  • The detainees ate and slept next to the bathrooms; fetid water leaked into the dining area and under the beds.
    — Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
  • The bleak tortures Ohm concocts for his characters are as vile as the Bilberry’s fetid jacuzzi.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Definition of fetid
Adjective
  • Dozens of people had spent almost a year living outside, filthy and exhausted, and for what?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • From shabby apartments to art experiments to filthy needles—with echoes of Patti Smith and Rebecca Makkai—Adler conjures an era of sorrow borne by too many, too young.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • The story of how this whimsical, gender-fluid brand got into the fusty, dusty, and chronically behind-the-times bridal industry isn't a particularly dramatic one.
    — Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 26 June 2026
  • It was given a $31 million overhaul in full-on 18th-century Provençal style by the Airelles Collection in 2014, but managed to emerge classic yet not clichéd, formal but not fusty.
    — Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
Definition of fusty
Adjective
  • Skunks can cause anxiety in homeowners by harming lawns and possibly threatening Rover with their malodorous defenses.
    — Felicia Feaster, Martha Stewart, 20 June 2026
  • Be advised that only a small fraction of arums are malodorous.
    — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Definition of malodorous
Adjective
  • Donis said multiple people reached out with complaints of a foul smell emanating from the river.
    — Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
  • Once opened, check for foul odors, cloudiness, or spurting liquid when opening.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 13 July 2026
Definition of foul
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.

Browse Nearby Words

frowns (on or upon)
frowsty
frowsy
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Cite this Entry

“Frowsty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frowsty. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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