musty

adjective

ˈmə-stē How to pronounce musty (audio)
Definition of mustynext
1
as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell musty old gym socks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cliche
used or heard so often as to be dull the musty prose of writers who use the same expressions over and over

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word musty distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of musty are fetid, fusty, malodorous, 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 is it sensible to use malodorous instead of musty?

The synonyms malodorous and musty are sometimes interchangeable, but malodorous may range from the unpleasant to the strongly offensive.

malodorous fertilizers

When would noisome be a good substitute for musty?

While in some cases nearly identical to musty, noisome adds a suggestion of being harmful or unwholesome as well as offensive.

a stagnant, noisome sewer

In what contexts can putrid take the place of musty?

The words putrid and musty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, putrid implies particularly the sickening odor of decaying organic matter.

the putrid smell of rotting fish

When can rank be used instead of musty?

Although the words rank and musty have much in common, rank suggests a strong unpleasant smell.

rank cigar smoke

How do stinking and fetid relate to one another, in the sense of musty?

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 musty Beer and soda are two different kinds of musty sweet. —Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025 New homes command higher prices with their quartz countertops, brand-new appliances, fresh paint, and none of the carpet stains or musty smells that can haunt a resale. —Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025 Some of his customers swear by it for getting rid of stubborn pit stains and freshening up musty towels, too. —Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2025 Other evidence of bed bugs includes bloody or inky stains on fabric and a sweet, musty smell in the room. —Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 22 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for musty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for musty
  1. stinking
  2. fusty
  3. stereotyped
  4. ripe
  5. tired
  6. commonplace
  7. stinky
  8. hackneyed
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
Definition of stinking
Adjective
  • 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
Definition of fusty
Adjective
  • Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.
    — Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
  • At the time, Latinos were often cast in stereotyped roles with heavy accents and largely denied the opportunity to direct features.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of stereotyped
Adjective
  • There's nothing quite like biting into a sweet, perfectly ripe pear.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
  • That’s followed by baklava, ripe apricot, crème brûlée, and Cognac on the palate, with a finish of rum raisin cake.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 2 Oct. 2025
Definition of ripe
Adjective
  • More pertinently, if Iroegbunam or Gueye tired or did not screen passes correctly (shown below), Rogers and Emiliano Buendia had huge spaces to receive and turn, owing to Everton’s deep centre-backs refusing to step out.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
  • If tired, float or tread water until out of the rip current.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2025
Definition of tired
Adjective
  • Advertisement Many wineries have decided to switch to lighter wine bottles to reduce CO2 emissions and the use of renewable energy is finally becoming commonplace.
    — Miguel A. Torres, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Nonetheless, commonplace platitudes about honor and bravery take precedence over the feminist undertones Wyatt may aspire to.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
Definition of commonplace
Adjective
  • The fabric also features Lululemon’s signature Silverescent technology, which prevents the growth of stinky bacteria.
    — Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025
  • An alkaline compound, baking soda is a non-toxic cleaner with a coarseness that works wonders for scrubbing grime, removing difficult stains, and deodorizing stinky odors.
    — Lauren David, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
Definition of stinky
Adjective
  • The story revolves around this character in ways that feel hackneyed and forced.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
  • This is actually better than some of the hackneyed rom-coms Reiner muddled through, a coming-of-age story about two kids’ pseudo-love story from grade school through middle school.
    — Will Leitch, Vulture, 13 Sep. 2025
Definition of hackneyed

Browse Nearby Words

musts
musty
mutability
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Cite this Entry

“Musty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/musty. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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