fusty

adjective

ˈfə-stē How to pronounce fusty (audio)
Definition of fustynext
as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell couldn't stay too long in the fusty attic without sneezing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fusty distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of fusty are fetid, malodorous, musty, 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 can malodorous be used instead of fusty?

While the synonyms malodorous and fusty are close in meaning, malodorous may range from the unpleasant to the strongly offensive.

malodorous fertilizers

Where would noisome be a reasonable alternative to fusty?

The meanings of noisome and fusty largely overlap; however, noisome adds a suggestion of being harmful or unwholesome as well as offensive.

a stagnant, noisome sewer

When is it sensible to use putrid instead of fusty?

The synonyms putrid and fusty are sometimes interchangeable, but putrid implies particularly the sickening odor of decaying organic matter.

the putrid smell of rotting fish

When would rank be a good substitute for fusty?

In some situations, the words rank and fusty are roughly equivalent. However, rank suggests a strong unpleasant smell.

rank cigar smoke

How are the words stinking and fetid related as synonyms of fusty?

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 fusty As a result, this version feels fresh instead of fusty. —Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 30 Sep. 2024 The steel frame is easy to wipe down, and the open design keeps it from trapping fusty odors. —Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 4 Mar. 2025 Paradoxically, the most lucrative magazine today is likely the Costco Connection, which emerges monthly from the fusty and secretive Kirkland, WA, marketing empire. —Peter Bart, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025 And yet the Guthman has been going strong since 2009, when what was formerly a fusty piano competition endowed by the Georgia Tech alumnus Richard Guthman transformed into a showcase for instrument inventors, in a bid to tie the school’s music program to its international high-tech reputation. —Matthew Sherrill, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fusty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fusty
  1. stinking
  2. ripe
  3. musty
  4. smelly
  5. malodorous
  6. foul
  7. filthy
  8. fetid
Adjective
  • This is about a team with a top-10 payroll whose GM committed too stinking much of it to dogs that can’t, or won’t, pull the sled.
    — Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2019
  • Muttaiah said the man inside the stinking manhole was working without any safety equipment — no gloves, no shoes, no supplemental oxygen.
    — Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2019
Definition of stinking
Adjective
  • The table above suggests that the conditions are ripe for another price crash, albeit perhaps a fender-bender.
    — Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Once ripe, they can be consumed in various dishes, like salads and guacamole, or on their own.
    — Elizabeth Barnes, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of ripe
Adjective
  • Add half a cup to your rinse cycle for softer clothes and less musty smells.
    — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Eliminate musty closet smells by placing containers filled with kitty litter in a corner of the closet. 7 Ways to Banish Common Household Odors for a Fresher Home 8.
    — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of musty
Adjective
  • Usually, a smelly refrigerator is caused by specific foods inside it and how they're stored.
    — Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Before, the engine room was a noisy, smelly space below deck.
    — Chun-Lien Su, IEEE Spectrum, 29 July 2019
Definition of smelly
Adjective
  • Public stations were expensive to maintain and quickly became dirty and malodorous.
    — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Come for Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb, sweaty and malodorous and razor-sharp; stay for some of the best-structured storytelling on television.
    — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2024
Definition of malodorous
Adjective
  • Verdugo had one more at-bat, closing out the bottom of the eighth inning with a foul pop out off another reliever, Cole Sands.
    — Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The Pistons foul at one of the highest rates in the league, and both Brunson and Towns will get their share of points from the floor and foul line.
    — Jay Ginsbach, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of foul
Adjective
  • Aurangzeb imprisoned his ailing father in 1658 and defeated his brother the year after, before forcibly parading him in chains on a filthy elephant on the streets of Delhi.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The network has ordered Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service, which will see the celebrity chef go undercover to rescue America’s filthiest restaurants.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • Only one of them has a fetish for the fetid stink of porta potties, but the other one has their weird kinks too.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2025
  • During the previous effort, squalid and fetid camps grew on the border and were marred by gang violence.
    — Colleen Long, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025
Definition of fetid

Browse Nearby Words

fustiness
fusty
futile
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Cite this Entry

“Fusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fusty. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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