malodorous, stinking, fetid, noisome, putrid, rank, fusty, musty mean bad-smelling. malodorous may range from the unpleasant to the strongly offensive. stinking and fetid suggest the foul or disgusting. …

Add to word list smelling old and slightly wet: a musty room (Definition of musty from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

musty (ˈmʌstɪ) adj, -tier or -tiest 1. smelling or tasting old, stale, or mouldy

Definition of musty adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Dec 11, 2025 · musty (comparative more musty, superlative most musty) (rare) Of a male animal such as a camel or an elephant: in musth.

mus′ti•ly, adv. mus′ti•ness, n. 1. dank, moldy, stale. mus•ty2 (mus′ tē), n., pl. -ties. (formerly) a kind of snuff having a musty flavor.

Use the word musty to describe an unclean, stale, and possibly moldy smell. If something smells musty that means it’s probably been sitting in a damp corner without any air for a little too long.

MUSTY definition: having an odor or flavor suggestive of mold, as old buildings, long-closed rooms, or stale food. See examples of musty used in a sentence.

Something that is musty smells old and damp. There are racks of musty clothing and piles of junk. ...that terrible musty smell.

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, …