mossy

adjective

ˈmȯ-sē How to pronounce mossy (audio)
Definition of mossynext
as in archaic
having passed its time of use or usefulness mossy rules of etiquette that date from the Victorian era

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 mossy The shots are set against the backdrop of natural landscapes — all mossy trees, lakes, lush lawns, and a white horse making its way into the frame. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2026 Herbal, earthy, mossy, smoky, and witchy fragrances are exactly what the doctor ordered this fall and may be the perfect way to indulge in the practice. — Loren Savini, Allure, 11 Sep. 2026 Compare this with a similarly arresting later sequence, set deep within a magnificently mossy forest, where a band of hunters, led by Sung-ki (Zo In-sung, full of rascally charisma), do battle with Va’migere’s alien friends. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 Behr’s 2027 Color of the Year, Grounded, is a mossy olive green inspired by nature’s calming influence. — Kate McKenna, The Spruce, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mossy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mossy
  1. archaic
  2. obsolete
  3. antiquated
  4. medieval
  5. rusty
  6. prehistoric
Adjective
  • In our era of incessant texting, the concept of these radio missives struck me as both archaic and romantic.
    — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The archaic legal restrictions restricting same-sex couples or unmarried women, for example, are acknowledged and adhered to, rather than being openly challenged or criticized.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of archaic
Adjective
  • Whether machines can make conventional money obsolete remains an open question.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Advertisement That prescription has rankled many cybersecurity experts who scoff at the possibility that their expertise will be rendered obsolete.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of obsolete
Adjective
  • According to firefighters, the department’s flood response was also limited by an antiquated dispatch system.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Plaintiffs challenging the prohibition on home distilling claim the 1868 law is an antiquated relic of Reconstruction-era politics.
    — Michael Kunzelman, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of antiquated
Adjective
  • The territories at various times have been part of the Russian and Ottoman empires, medieval Kievan Rus’ and earlier civilizations.
    — Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The time period is vaguely medieval and the accents British, save for Skarsgård, who speaks in a flat, neutral exhale, the sound of breeze riffling through straw.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of medieval
Adjective
  • Panarin beat rusty backup Semyon Varlamov glove side twice, and Darcy Kuemper kept making stops even as his rebound control was lacking, finishing with 41 saves.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Sunny yellow, warm cinnamon, pastel pink, royal purple, rusty red—these are just a few of the available colors of chrysanthemums.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of rusty
Adjective
  • Other witnesses reported smaller, hairy creatures, a prehistoric-looking bird and a worm allegedly measuring 8 feet long.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • But moving beyond prehistoric time to the last century, comparison still had constraints.
    — Ashwini Nadkarni, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of prehistoric

Browse Nearby Words

mossbacks
mossy
most
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mossy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mossy. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All