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 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 In keeping with his transformational persona, Barack Obama tried to liven things up with a tan suit, only to scandalize the fusty Washington establishment. Alexander Nazaryan, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025 Water damage and mold marked the ornate, gilded plasterwork, and paint—in a fusty Empire red—was peeling off the walls. Alice Cavanagh, Architectural Digest, 17 Dec. 2024 As a result, this version feels fresh instead of fusty. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 30 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for fusty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fusty
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
Adjective
  • Use up ripe bananas in this fun twist on a cobbler.
    Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 5 July 2025
  • When tomatoes are just ripe, Holland advises placing them in the refrigerator for no more than two days to prevent them from getting too soft.
    Logan Holland, People.com, 5 July 2025
Adjective
  • First up, avoid musty smells by moving towels to the dryer as soon as the wash cycle is complete.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 6 July 2025
  • On July 12, after days of continuous rain, a musty heat spread across the Chicago region and temperatures soared with a record-high heat index of about 126 degrees.
    Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025
Adjective
  • Banned in Europe In addition to being a carcinogen, formaldehyde, a colorless and smelly gas, can cause rashes and can sicken those who breathe it in, according to the FDA.
    Ronnie Cohen, NPR, 8 May 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • Callery pear and Bradford pear trees are considered malodorous, according to the Spruce, a home and garden site.
    Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
  • Rue was considered the most malodorous of all herbs, was even thought to keep away evil spirits, and was spread on church floors for this purpose.
    Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 12 June 2025
Adjective
  • Cats often express their dismay at being excluded from your travel plans by peeing in your luggage, but of course, cat urine is not the only thing that can cause a foul odor in your suitcase.
    Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 June 2025
  • Police responded to a 911 call about a foul odor, and found Burgos’ apartment door unlocked in the building that offers affordable units for senior citizens.
    Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 19 June 2025
Adjective
  • These words are so filthy, even 40 years later, that Tribune editors will only allow an edited version to be included here.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
  • The girl is so filthy that just one look at her gets across the idea that this lifestyle is repellent.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
Adjective
  • Harold had exclaimed when the fetid, turquoise sea had at last come into view.
    Nicole Krauss, The Atlantic, 6 July 2025
  • Decades of despoiling water bodies have taken a terrible toll, filling water bodies with fetid algae that blocks sunlight and smothers the native seagrass beds that are a main food source for manatees.
    Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fusty. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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