mousy

or mous·ey

[ mou-see, -zee ]

adjective

, mous·i·er, mous·i·est.

1. resembling or suggesting a mouse, as in color or odor.
2. drab and colorless.
3. meek; timid:

   A drill sergeant can't be mousy!

   Synonyms: timorous, bashful, shy, fearful

4. quiet; noiseless:

   a mousy tread.

5. infested with mice. mouse.

mousy

/ ˈmaʊsɪ /

adjective

1. resembling a mouse, esp in having a light brown or greyish hair colour
2. shy or ineffectual

   a mousy little woman

3. infested with mice

Derived Forms

• ˈmousiness, noun
• ˈmousily, adverb

Other Words From

• mousi·ly adverb
• mousi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mousy¹

First recorded in 1805–15; mouse + -y ¹

Example Sentences

And though I didn’t want to say it—a little bit mousy.

From Literature

These microbes are known to contaminate white wine, causing spoilage and unpleasant odors, including nail polish remover, geranium and "mousy" odors.

From Science Daily

During World War II there appeared a cartoon, I believe in The New Yorker: A mousy, James Thurber-esque little man is in front of a newsstand.

From Salon

I’d had this image of myself as a mousy kid, but as I worked on the book, I was shocked at the things I did.

From Los Angeles Times

“So it gave us the cue that we should not be too mousy,” Caples said, “and that this was a public building where there could be some expansiveness.”

From New York Times