MUSTY Synonyms: 171 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

musty

adjective

ˈmə-stē

Definition of musty

as in stinking

having an unpleasant smell musty old gym socks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stereotyped

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 So he was drawn to musty libraries, archives and the internet. — Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026 Common signs of moldy books include a musty or earthy smell, discoloration (especially black, white, green, or orange spots), soft or fuzzy patches on the cover or pages, and warped or wavy pages due to moisture. — Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Sep. 2026 Rarely has a film so resourcefully evoked the transportive but decidedly analog thrill of reading; rarely has the warmly musty smell of research libraries and archives somehow wafted with such sense-memory precision off a cinema screen. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026 As a bonus, this can also clear musty mildew and other buildup. — Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for musty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for musty

Adjective

For this argument Thomasine was jailed—stuffed into a damp, stinking, deadly stone cell crawling with rats and lice—to force her to change her beliefs.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.

— Mary Ellen Klas, Boston Herald, 1 June 2026

Definition of stinking

Adjective

Despite their outer appearances and oftentimes stereotyped personalities, the ladies embrace each other’s depths and contradictions.

— Meagan Jordan, VIBE.com, 10 July 2026
This is a directed, stereotyped behavior in which the highest-resolution region of the somatosensory surface is brought to bear on the object requiring the most detailed analysis.

— Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026

Definition of stereotyped

Adjective

After its electrifying premiere, there were quickly reports that A24 is focused on a Best Picture campaign for the film in large part because the Academy’s fusty Documentary Branch may opt not to nominate it for Best Documentary Feature.

— Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026
Rooms feel traditional, yet never fusty, with cheerful blue and green quilts and rich wood furnishings.

— Lila Harron Battis, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of fusty

Adjective

Getting camera-ready Crawford never tired of redecorating her house throughout her 26 years there and had a long collaborative relationship with decorator William Haines.

— Megan Johnson, Architectural Digest, 14 Oct. 2026
As such, the group designed this high-tech salve to revive tired skin on a cellular level, but also with a little mood boost.

— Jenny Berg, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of tired

Adjective

There was a wide stone wall on which someone had placed a row of ripe quinces from a nearby tree.

— E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Le is particularly fond of the store’s Thai green bananas, which remain bright green even when fully ripe and develop an intensely sweet flavor.

— Sara Rosenthal, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of ripe

Adjective

However, cinematographers always need time and encouragement to get inventive with commonplace tools, especially in the documentary world where Hutchens does so much work.

— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
In 20 years’ time, one of the extravagances in these pages may be as commonplace as the smartphone is now.

— John Vorwald, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of commonplace

Adjective

There’s some hackneyed dialogue, much of it borne by Neeson, who despite his prominence in advertising gets sidelined for most of the running time.

— Dennis Harvey, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
Maybe so, but think of how badly Congress had stated those hackneyed ideas.

— Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

Definition of hackneyed

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“Musty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/musty. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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