Definition of fustynext

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 Little girls in fusty dresses tend to a fleet of baby dolls. Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025 Classical French cuisine found a new audience across London, Paris, and New York—and once-fusty sauces were something worth naming on the menu again. Joel Hart, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025 Now the New York Historical (a rebranding last year dropped both fussy hyphen and fusty noun) is achieving its deferred ambitions, with a hundred-and-seventy-five-million-dollar expansion. Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025 Saint-Tropez’s Hotel Byblos teamed up with Globe-Trotter to make a suitcase, while Le Bristol in Paris created a highly wearable capsule collection with Sporty & Rich aimed at injecting some youthful joie de vivre into the sometimes fusty five-star hotel. Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 19 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for fusty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fusty
Adjective
  • Here, ripe slices are layered over a buttery, flaky crust with garlic, grated cheese, lemon zest, and fresh herbs, then baked until the edges are deeply golden and the tomatoes are soft and caramelized.
    Andy Baraghani, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 May 2026
  • The use of biometrics has been controversial, and privacy advocates have warned the practice could be ripe for identity theft and that customers’ biometric data could be shared with law enforcement.
    Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
Adjective
  • 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
  • Their solution to a stinking run was, comically, to rely on less than 23 per cent of possession and pick Madrid off with a classy volley from Martin Satriano, below.
    Phil Hay, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • There’s nothing musty about the play.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 4 May 2026
  • But consistently high humidity levels are one of the biggest drivers of musty smells.
    Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 2 May 2026
Adjective
  • This part of the bathroom is often overlooked when cleaning the bathroom, but mold, mildew, and mineral deposits can build up in the tank and cause smelly odors.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Her yard was covered in thick, smelly bird poop.
    Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Food that needed to be trashed for age or temperature abuse, malodorous air and filthy food containers were among the 33 violations an inspector found at a popular Miami seafood restaurant.
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Gladwin iris or roast-beef plant (Iris foetidissima) has malodorous foliage when crushed.
    Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • After Queta picked up his fourth foul minutes into the second half of Game 5 and was lifted for Vucevic, Embiid proceeded to score 10 points in the next four minutes, powering a 15-3 Sixers run that flipped the game.
    Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
  • On a 1-1 count, Cubs infielder Matt Shaw hit a weak dribbler down the third base line that teetered on the edge of fair or foul.
    Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Compost Deodorizer Baking soda can deodorize our fridge, so why not use it on a stinky compost pile?
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Keno brought his goofy side to every practice, getting laughs at stinky feet jokes, or pretending to run into a door.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Then downstairs in the filthy little basement, where there's the stone butt carved into the wall, people knew exactly what to do.
    Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 May 2026
  • Strong supports the closing of Men’s Central Jail and said the department needed to look at medical care, filthy living conditions and a lack of healthy food and clean water.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Fusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fusty. Accessed 7 May. 2026.

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