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
  • Not the good, high-altitude ozone that shields us from dangerous UV light, but bad ozone, hovering right above ground level — stinking, brownish, grayish photochemical smog.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of stinking
Adjective
  • The parent-child relationships aren’t the only ones ripe for unpacking.
    — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Where is the low-hanging fruit on your website that’s most ripe for innovation?
    — Dave Foster, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 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 Lineage warehouse fire, which erupted a mile away nearly two months ago, still blankets the church every morning with the fetid stench of millions of pounds of rotting food that have yet to be trucked away.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Those releases were queasy, dank, almost fetid, as though Ableton could manipulate flesh as well as frequencies.
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of fetid
Adjective
  • The game starts with a flashback 30 years ago to a feral, filthy Wolverine who’s living alone in the wilderness.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Few things at airports irritate customers like filthy toilets or water on the restroom floor.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • No one’s fusty, but there’s the traditional one and there’s the modern one.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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
  • This isn't the first time Pappas has been criticized for using foul language.
    — Zak Spector, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Portland’s Emily Engstler and the Mercury’s Kahleah Copper traded baskets before Katie Lou Samuelson hit the second of two foul shots with 20 seconds left to put the Fire up 84-82.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Frowsty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frowsty. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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