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Synonyms

moldy

American  
[mohl-dee] / ˈmoʊl di /

adjective

moldier, moldiest

  1. overgrown or covered with mold.

  2. musty, as from decay or age.

  3. Informal. old-fashioned; outmoded.

    moldy ideas about higher education.
moldy British  
/ ˈməʊldɪ /

adjective

  1. the US spelling of mouldy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • moldiness noun
  • unmoldy adjective

Etymology

Origin of moldy

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; mold 2, -y 1

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.

The bed was wonderfully comfortable, though the shower in the spacious bathroom had a faint moldy smell.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

The wider sweeps are stressing the capacity of the detention system, where detainees have reported moldy food, dirty towels and no changes of clothes for more than a week at a time.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2025

There’s now been so many of them that they’ve come to feel moldy.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2025

Pedro Pascal counts himself among the number who wish the "Harry Potter" author would leave her moldy house and touch grass.

From Salon • Apr. 25, 2025

There is a plate with five chunks of moldy cheese on it.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

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.