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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 Keep an eye out for water stains on ceilings and walls, a musty odor, or signs of past flooding in the basement or crawl space. Dana Bull, CNBC, 9 June 2025 Towels that are left in pile on the floor and aren't dried properly tend to develop musty odors and should be washed immediately. Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2025 Benefits Of Lower Humidity There are many good reasons to keep humidity at bay in the basement: Reduce musty odors and mildew growth. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 May 2025 This high-moisture environment is ideal for mold and mildew, encouraging rampant growth through the affected areas and producing an unpleasant musty smell. Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for musty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for musty
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
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Adjective
  • Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.
    Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
  • Their negative stereotyped reputation seems to follow them like ageism follows older employees or sexism follows female employees.
    Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Banana Bread Syrup Lewis says another alternative is to make your own banana bread syrup by simmering together mashed ripe banana, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla.
    Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2025
  • Every candidate has already been vetted for safety; A.I. can identify low-hanging fruit, and then humans can decide whether the pairing is ripe for picking.
    Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • Already, 47% of clinicians report that being tired has impacted their abilities to treat patients.
    Victoria Feng, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • His legs are going to be a little tired, as to be expected.
    Roderick Boone Updated July 11, Charlotte Observer, 12 July 2025
Adjective
  • That's simply not exciting in a reality where superheroes have been commonplace since Iron Man had a press conference, aliens have invaded multiple times, and a mad Titan erased half of all life (before everybody came back).
    James Grebey, Time, 25 July 2025
  • Editing for brevity’s sake is commonplace in TV journalism and CBS argued Trump’s claims had no merit.
    Chris Morris, Fortune, 25 July 2025
Adjective
  • Similarly, the billionaire-villain forgery subplot and the insertion of romance into team dynamics came across as forced, hackneyed and unnecessary.
    Karl Moore, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
  • This hackneyed stance has turned his concert performances shrill and hollow.
    Armond White, National Review, 28 May 2025
Adjective
  • The smelly, hairy animals with terrible eyesight are actually a type of mammal known as a collared peccary.
    Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025
  • Words for different smells, or things that are smelly.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Musty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/musty. Accessed 1 Aug. 2025.

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