FROWSTY Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

frowsty

adjective

ˈfrau̇-stē

Definition of frowsty

chiefly British

as in stinking

having an unpleasant smell she wrote her first novel while living in a frowsty, mold-ridden flat

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for frowsty

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

The results suggested that the idea of using messenger RNA to train the immune system to attack cancer cells — an approach first devised decades ago — was ripe for further drug development.

— Allison DeAngelis, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
Part of it was due to returning vets, who were very alienated and were suffering from untreated PTSD and were ripe targets for recruitment by white supremacist groups that look for people with these kinds of skills.

— Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of ripe

Adjective

Lenker, in plaid, rubs her eyes; James Krivchenia leans forward, sparky and alert; Meek, outdoors in the Topanga sunshine, wears cycling glasses and a frowzy hat.

— Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 4 Sep. 2025
Before the current renovation of the franchised hotels, the rooms looked as if they were stuck in a fussy, frowsy 1980s floral rut.

— BostonGlobe.com, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Oct. 2019

Definition of frowsy

Adjective

However, the Mariners play in the AL West, a fetid swamp of baseball disappointment.

— Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
The Lineage warehouse fire, which erupted a mile away nearly two months ago, still blankets the church every morning with the fetid stench of millions of pounds of rotting food that have yet to be trucked away.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of fetid

Adjective

Park advocates have long argued that the existing city allocation is inadequate, leaving neighborhoods with decaying recreation centers, deteriorating swimming pools and filthy park bathrooms.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Raman has promised to speed up housing construction, bring back entertainment industry jobs and improve services in a city known for filthy streets, gridlock and an unresponsive City Hall.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of filthy

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

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.

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“Frowsty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frowsty. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of frowsty

adjective

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