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 Paradoxically, the most lucrative magazine today is likely the Costco Connection, which emerges monthly from the fusty and secretive Kirkland, WA, marketing empire. Peter Bart, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025 In keeping with his transformational persona, Barack Obama tried to liven things up with a tan suit, only to scandalize the fusty Washington establishment. Alexander Nazaryan, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025 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 As a result, this version feels fresh instead of fusty. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 30 Sep. 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
  • However, the researchers note that this avenue—avocados and sleep—is ripe for future exploration.
    Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
  • The opportune timing meant the atmosphere was ripe for change, leading her to found a new graduate school of architecture at the university in 2014.
    Rosa Rahimi, CNN Money, 11 June 2025
Adjective
  • Towels that are left in pile on the floor and aren't dried properly tend to develop musty odors and should be washed immediately.
    Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2025
  • Benefits Of Lower Humidity There are many good reasons to keep humidity at bay in the basement: Reduce musty odors and mildew growth.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 May 2025
Adjective
  • Banned in Europe In addition to being a carcinogen, formaldehyde, a colorless and smelly gas, can cause rashes and can sicken those who breathe it in, according to the FDA.
    Ronnie Cohen, NPR, 8 May 2025
  • Usually, a smelly refrigerator is caused by specific foods inside it and how they're stored.
    Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Public stations were expensive to maintain and quickly became dirty and malodorous.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Come for Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb, sweaty and malodorous and razor-sharp; stay for some of the best-structured storytelling on television.
    Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene slid into foul territory down the left-field line in pursuit of Chase Meidroth’s third-inning fly ball, then disappeared in a cloud of dust.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2025
  • Then, Muncy went deep again, continuing his recent surge by belting another three-run homer high off the right-field foul pole, tying a career-high with seven RBIs on the day.
    Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2025
Adjective
  • The law specifically spells out heating problems, pest infestations and filthy conditions as among the issues that could require a court’s intervention.
    Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 30 May 2025
  • Detectives have criminally charged the owner of nearly 50 Belgian Malinois dogs that were found trapped together in a cramped, filthy Queens apartment, police said Wednesday.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 14 May 2025
Adjective
  • Not so happy are people trying to swim around the stuff or breathing in the fetid aroma of drying mounds of sargassum.
    Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 9 May 2025
  • Only one of them has a fetish for the fetid stink of porta potties, but the other one has their weird kinks too.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fusty. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.

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