Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
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.

I shove them into the bin until my fingers brush against a moldy Pierre.

From Literature

One librarian had once told him that the smell of books actually came from moldy paper.

From Literature

Once I am feeling hungry again, I discover there is little food on the ship, aside from moldy bread and the pork sausages we can’t eat.

From Literature

But then everyone would go off and leave their smelly old socks and moldy mittens and melted Halloween candy and leftover sandwiches.

From Literature

“And it’s especially hydrating — probably 2-3 bananas per can, which you can bring anywhere and you don’t have to worry about moldy bananas. And just 50 calories — Naked’s coconut water has 60.”

From Los Angeles Times