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 Drinks and subpar nachos will be shared beneath the musty rafters of the tavern where the surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon once imbibed. — Rafaela Jinich, The Atlantic, 26 July 2026 Other signs of bed bugs include ink-like speckled stains on fabrics, shed exoskeletons around crevices of beds and furniture and a sweet, musty smell. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026 Signs of an infestation include seeing roaches during the day, finding droppings or egg cases, and noticing a musty odor. — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 16 July 2026 The bottle performs an automatic 10-second cleaning cycle every two hours when charged, keeping it free of musty odors and tastes thanks to a UV-C LED light built into the cap. — Morgan Ashley Parker, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for musty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for musty

Adjective

America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.

— Mary Ellen Klas, Boston Herald, 1 June 2026
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

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

His handicapping merited attention and newsletter sales, but Steele soon tired of tipping his own hand to the oddsmakers in Vegas.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
More and more young people are turning toward low- or no-tech lives, tired of the endless scroll most of us face for hours each day.

— Greta Cross, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of tired

Adjective

As anywhere in the United States, crashes are more commonplace during rush hour; there are simply more drivers on the road, and many are tired.

— Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
YouTube has long topped Nielsen's streaming viewership list, and deals that see more of traditional media's content embedded into the tech platform could become more commonplace.

— Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of commonplace

Adjective

Maybe so, but think of how badly Congress had stated those hackneyed ideas.

— Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
While not exactly a feminist screed, the script grants nary a free pass to the glut of hackneyed gender conventions in the golden-age canon without at least cracking a joke.

— Naveen Kumar, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026

Definition of hackneyed

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musts

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mutability

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“Musty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/musty. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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