musty

1 of 2

adjective

ˈmə-stē 

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

ˈmə-stə-lē 

adverb

mustiness

ˈmə-stē-nəs 

noun

mustiness

2 of 2

noun

must·​i·​ness -tēnə̇s 

plural -es

: the quality or state of being musty

Synonyms of musty

Adjective

• stinking
• fusty
• ripe
• rotted
• stinky
• smelly
• rotting
• filthy
• fetid
• malodorous
• strong
• foul
• disgusting
• reeking
• funky
• frowsy
• dirty
• rotten
• noisome

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

Adjective

a dark and musty basement

the musty prose of writers who use the same expressions over and over

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The day before, air alerts sent the group to this musty-smelling alcove four times in three hours. — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2026

Westminster’s smelly and musty water is still safe to drink, city officials said. — Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 5 Oct. 2026

The all-in-one dock cleans the spinning dual mops with hot water, dries them with warm air to prevent musty smells, and automatically drains and refills the water tank. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026

An old, musty smell in your cabinets can be caused by multiple issues, the biggest one being moisture. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

must entry 4

First Known Use

Adjective

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for musty

• crusty
• dusty
• gusty
• lusty
• rusty
• trusty

Kids Definition

musty

adjective

ˈməs-tē 

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