FUSTY Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

fusty

adjective

ˈfə-stē

Definition of fusty next

as in ripe

having an unpleasant smell couldn't stay too long in the fusty attic without sneezing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 While Reichardt never pushes for comedy, these fusty parental exchanges are often very funny, as are J.B.’s bad-parenting episodes with the boys. —

David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025 Ignoring the conventions of academic portraiture, a genre associated with pale men standing in front of burgundy drapes, Sherald liberated America’s first lady from the fusty, cigar-brown rooms of the past. —

Deborah Solomon, New York Times, 15 May 2025 The steel frame is easy to wipe down, and the open design keeps it from trapping fusty odors. —

Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 4 Mar. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for fusty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fusty

Adjective

The city’s colorful outdoor food markets lay abandoned—the usual smell of ripe papaya replaced by the stench of yesterday’s scraps, rotting in the heat.

— Armando Ledezma, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026
The opportunity may be ripe for investors to buy bank stocks at a discount.

— Fred Imbert, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026