musty
1 Americannoun
plural
mustiesadjective
-
smelling or tasting old, stale, or mouldy
-
old-fashioned, dull, or hackneyed
musty ideas
Other Word Forms
- mustily adverb
- mustiness noun
Etymology
Origin of musty1
1520–30; perhaps variant of moisty ( Middle English; see moist, -y 1) with loss of i before s as in master
Origin of musty2
First recorded in 1700–10; noun use of musty 1
Explanation
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 smells take time to develop: they’re caused by dampness and mold, and signal some amount of decay. You might also call the smell of a musty old basement rank or foul. But people also use musty to insult someone’s writing, or their ideas. A musty speech wouldn’t just be old-fashioned, it would be old in a bad way: rotten and boring.
Vocabulary lists containing musty
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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Hatchet
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
New research now shows that the distinctive musty scent of mummified remains holds valuable clues about how these elaborate burial rituals were carried out.
From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026
This latest creation is a dud, a banal sitcom figure surrounded by wacky characters who can’t wring any laughs out of Mr. Brooks’s musty script.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025
It was musty and slightly astringent, not unlike the communal bin area in his block of flats.
From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025
The sharp tang of the tar and the musty, earthy smell of the observation pits meant a day of play and exploration.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2025
It is a low and musty place, with a dozen tables on a dirt floor and a raised dais with a moldy tapestry behind the high table.
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
