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
  • Our top fruity perfume picks Cherry perfumes are ripe and juicy—perfect for someone who loves a gourmand fragrance through and through.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Fans gonna hate, and in that spirit the Dodgers are ripe for the ripping.
    — Steve Buckley, New York Times, 4 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 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
  • Being outdoors, they’re exposed to all sorts of dust, pollen, dirt, bird droppings, spider webs, leaves, sap, weather, and pollutants carried by the wind, which can leave a filthy coating on your shutters.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Cleaning our planet’s filthy ports could one day get a boost from a creature with a very messy nickname.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 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
  • The foul weather sent trees toppling across the city, including on the Upper West Side in Manhattan and in Woodside, Queens, where a food truck was struck by a fallen tree, according to ABC.
    — Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • She's been booed as a visiting player, elbowed in the face then called for a foul herself, all while some fans have been allowed to bring in signs expressing hatred towards her.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 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 8 Aug. 2026.

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