FUSTY Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

fusty

adjective

ˈfə-stē

Definition of fusty

as in ripe

having an unpleasant smell couldn't stay too long in the fusty attic without sneezing

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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 The image that usually beckons of a vintage store is one that is fusty, cramped and dimly lit, filled with garments organized without design or backstory. — Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026 The strategy has worked—the film is doing well at the box office—but Chalamet’s energy has vibed uncomfortably with the fusty atmosphere of awards-season campaigning, where glad-handing with showbiz retirees and eating rubber chicken at galas is still very much the norm. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Jan. 2026 Little girls in fusty dresses tend to a fleet of baby dolls. — Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025 Classical French cuisine found a new audience across London, Paris, and New York—and once-fusty sauces were something worth naming on the menu again. — Joel Hart, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fusty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fusty

Adjective

The parent-child relationships aren’t the only ones ripe for unpacking.

— Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026
Where is the low-hanging fruit on your website that’s most ripe for innovation?

— Dave Foster, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of ripe

Adjective

America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.

— Mary Ellen Klas, Boston Herald, 1 June 2026
Not the good, high-altitude ozone that shields us from dangerous UV light, but bad ozone, hovering right above ground level — stinking, brownish, grayish photochemical smog.

— Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026

Definition of stinking

Adjective

Damp basement walls, musty odors, and water stains around basement windows are all signs that water may be entering your home’s foundation.

— Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 3 Aug. 2026
Try to clean your front load washing machine every 30 days to keep it from ever getting to the smelly, musty stage.

— Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of musty

Adjective

Through the trading company Suzuki Shoten, the smelly oil was originally exported to Europe, where it was turned into a solid, odorless fat through a process called hydrogenation.

— Pei-Hsu Lin, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2026
Double-bag the trash when throwing out wet containers or smelly waste, or bags that are especially heavy.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of smelly

Adjective

This isn't the first time Pappas has been criticized for using foul language.

— Zak Spector, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Portland’s Emily Engstler and the Mercury’s Kahleah Copper traded baskets before Katie Lou Samuelson hit the second of two foul shots with 20 seconds left to put the Fire up 84-82.

— Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of foul

Adjective

These repellents are made of stinky smells and bad flavors that deer do not like, like potassium sorbate, whole egg solids, thyme oil, garlic, and sodium lauryl sulfate.

— Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 13 Aug. 2026
Garbage cans can be smelly and gross, but flies love them thanks to their rotting food and stinky smells.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of stinky

Browse Nearby Words

fustiness

fusty

futile

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“Fusty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fusty. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of fusty

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