mustier; mustiest
1
a
: impaired by damp or mildew : moldy
old musty books
musty hay
b
: tasting of mold
musty wine
c
: smelling of damp and decay : fusty
The cellar was musty.
2
a
: trite, stale
musty prose
b(1)
: antiquated
musty customs
(2)
: superannuated
musty slang
mustily adverb
mustiness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for musty

malodorous, stinking, fetid, noisome, putrid, rank, fusty, musty mean bad-smelling.

malodorous may range from the unpleasant to the strongly offensive.

malodorous fertilizers

stinking and fetid suggest the foul or disgusting.

prisoners were held in stinking cells
the fetid odor of skunk cabbage

noisome adds a suggestion of being harmful or unwholesome as well as offensive.

a stagnant, noisome sewer

putrid implies particularly the sickening odor of decaying organic matter.

the putrid smell of rotting fish

rank suggests a strong unpleasant smell.

rank cigar smoke

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

Examples of musty in a Sentence

a dark and musty basement the musty prose of writers who use the same expressions over and over
Recent Examples on the Web Mildew and musty smells can occur in clothes in even the most fastidious of households. Tamara Gane, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2024 For example, early symptoms of the condition can include musty or sweet-smelling breath, changes in sleep patterns, mild confusion, personality or mood changes, poor concentration, and worsening handwriting. Korin Miller, Verywell Health, 12 Feb. 2024 Spring runoff goes under the building, creating a musty smell. Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 13 Feb. 2024 The musty chamber, which looks like a makeshift cell, is where the Israeli military says Hamas held at least 12 of the hostages kidnapped and brought to Gaza on October 7. Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 7 Feb. 2024 People use their fine flatware and want them more at arm’s reach, not stowed high away on a shelf in a musty box. Clare Miers, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024 And do a sniff test when checking out a washing machine — a musty odor could be a sign of mold, Papantoniou warns. Daniel Bortz, Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2024 But this musty corner of the sports retail world may soon be completely upended. Ken Belson, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2024 The books, which had belonged to her grandfather, who studied in France in the nineteen-thirties, were musty and yellowing, and many pages showed signs of being nibbled by mice. Han Zhang, The New Yorker, 26 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'musty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

must entry 4

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of musty was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near musty

Cite this Entry

“Musty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/musty. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

musty

adjective
mustier; mustiest
1
a
: affected by dampness or mildew : moldy
b
: tasting or smelling of dampness and decay
2
a
: stale entry 1 sense 2, trite
musty proverbs
b
: outmoded, antiquated
musty traditions
mustiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on musty

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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