fusty

American  

[fuhs-tee] / ˈfʌs ti /

adjective

fustier, fustiest

1. having a stale smell; moldy; musty.

   fusty rooms that were in need of a good airing.

   Synonyms:

   malodorous, smelly, oppressive, stuffy, close

2. old-fashioned or out-of-date, as architecture, furnishings, or the like.

   They still live in that fusty, gingerbread house.

3. stubbornly conservative or old-fashioned; fogyish.

---

fusty British  

/ ˈfʌstɪ /

adjective

1. smelling of damp or mould; musty

2. old-fashioned in attitude

---

Other Word Forms

• fustiness
  noun
• fustily
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of fusty

1350–1400; Middle English fusti, equivalent to fust (noun) < Old French: wine cask, tree trunk (< Latin fūstis stick, pole) + -y ¹

Explanation

Use the adjective fusty to describe something that's covered with dust and smells a little old and musty. Your grandmother's attic is probably full of fusty knickknacks. Fusty is perfect for describing anything from a slightly mildewed quilt at the back of your closet to your brother's camping gear, forgotten in the trunk of his car for months and smelling a little ripe. You can also use it to talk about an antique idea or attitude, like your uncle's fusty, outdated opinions on the roles of men and women. The Old French root of fusty is fusté, "tasting or smelling of the cask," from fuist, "wine cask."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fusty fustier fustiest

Widow’s Bay is indeed a fusty place where everyone drives old cars, uses ancient computers and communicates on walkies and landlines since neither cell phones nor Wi-Fi connectivity works.

From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026

Venezi’s supporters say the 35-year-old, who once appeared in Italian shampoo commercials, has the potential to open up the fusty world of opera to a whole new audience.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026

That breach of cricketing etiquette, in an era of fusty formality, was sufficient to slightly irk Bradman as he walked from his crease.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2024

There was the peculiar name, which conjured visions of a fusty baron.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2024

“Our clothes,” he said, “got somewhat fusty in the rebels' little New Year's callithump. They're rowdy boys, and I reckon they knocked down a candle during their celebrations.”

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

They are pleasurable to behold, in their own way, if a bit fustier than those of Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc in “Knives Out.”

From Washington Post ● Feb. 7, 2022

Hotel developers have started to replace some of the fustier features, such as mini-bars and room service, with more modern ones, such as nightstands with USB ports and lobby lounges.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 10, 2016

Her main task was to update Roget's often Victorian language, deleting some of the fustier phrases, adding or redefining 20,000 others, including, for example, Watergate, streaking, hype and quadraphonic sound.

From Time Magazine Archive

Savvy viewers, though, will intuit the title’s missing question mark, understanding that Michael Myers, one of cinema’s fustiest boogeymen, is unlikely to remain interred for long.

From New York Times ● Oct. 13, 2022

It had been a long, sometimes contentious, multi-hurdled journey from chippy kid to all-time champion who radicalized one of the Whitest and fustiest of sports with her presence.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 3, 2022

My destination was Black Mountain, the fustiest and most unreconstructed ski area in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

From New York Times ● Jan. 21, 2020

The beginning of a new era at The Washington Post might be traced to a private conversation between two old friends in January at that fustiest of Washington insider rituals, the annual Alfalfa Club dinner.

From Washington Post

Only the fustiest of traditionalists would grouch at the news that Joseph Papp's musical irregulars from the New York Shakespeare Festival have decided to give Boheme an airing out.

From Time Magazine Archive