mousy
Americanadjective
-
resembling a mouse, esp in having a light brown or greyish hair colour
-
shy or ineffectual
a mousy little woman
-
infested with mice
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of mousy
Explanation
If your house is painted the same dull brown color as a mouse's fur, you can call it mousy. If you're tired of your mousy hair, you can always dye it purple. If you think of mice as shy and boring, you'll understand the sense of the adjective mousy. Whether it's describing a color, like your mousy brown sweater, or a personality, like a timid, mousy classmate, mousy is rarely a compliment. The "quiet and unassertive" meaning is the oldest, dating from about 1812, while the reference to color came along forty years later.
Vocabulary lists containing mousy
Wish
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
One of Us Is Lying
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Little Fires Everywhere
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
“In one, I go from a mousy housewife to a road warrior, and the other I go from a cookie-making mom to an assassin,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
Trying to dismiss them, Creon asks in a mousy voice, “Do I need to . . . tip you?”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
She becomes an object of fascination for Thomasin McKenzie’s mousy Eileen when she glides into the dreary juvenile detention center where they both work one winter, in Massachusetts 1964.
From Seattle Times • May 5, 2024
These microbes are known to contaminate white wine, causing spoilage and unpleasant odors, including nail polish remover, geranium and "mousy" odors.
From Science Daily • Apr. 17, 2024
The girl had mousy brown hair and a simple brown dress.
From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan
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.
