mossy

American  

[maw-see, mos-ee] / ˈmɔ si, ˈmɒs i /

adjective

mossier, mossiest

1. overgrown with or abounding in moss.

   a mossy stone.

2. covered with a mosslike growth.

3. appearing as if covered with moss.

4. resembling moss.

   a mossy softness.

5. old or outdated; antiquated.

   mossy ideas.

---

Other Word Forms

• mossiness noun
• unmossy adjective

Etymology

Origin of mossy

First recorded in 1540–50; moss + -y ¹

Explanation

Anything covered with or resembling moss is mossy. A mossy rock can be pretty. Mossy teeth are never pretty. Moss tends to grow in a green carpet, especially in wooded or shady areas, so when you're walking through a forest you'll probably come upon mossy areas. Informally, you can also use this adjective to mean "old fashioned" or "dated." Your grandparents' conservative ideas about dating, for example, might be a little mossy. The word stems from an Old English root, meos, that's a close relation to mos, or "bog."

Example Sentences

"The numbers of mossy cells decline with aging and Alzheimer's disease," said Alexendra Moser, PhD, a project scientist in the Svendsen Lab and lead author of the study.

From Science Daily • Oct. 23, 2025

This year's event favours rewilding and sustainability, with mossy paving, native planting and gravel paths.

From BBC • May 19, 2025

The exact molecular details of how signal processing in the mossy fiber synapses works are still unknown.

From Science Daily • Nov. 20, 2024

The style is evocative and creepy, thanks to rich production and costume design, the cramped house seemingly lost in time, surrounded by a damp, mossy forest.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2024

He led the wounded fox to a mossy circle of shade beneath a pine.

From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker