mousy

American  

[mou-see, -zee] / ˈmaʊ si, -zi /

Or mousey

adjective

mousier, mousiest

1. resembling or suggesting a mouse, as in color or odor.

2. drab and colorless.

3. meek; timid.

   A drill sergeant can't be mousy!

   Synonyms:

   timorous, bashful, shy, fearful

4. quiet; noiseless.

   a mousy tread.

5. infested with mice. mouse.

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mousy British  

/ ˈmaʊsɪ /

adjective

1. resembling a mouse, esp in having a light brown or greyish hair colour

2. shy or ineffectual

   a mousy little woman

3. infested with mice

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Other Word Forms

• mousily adverb
• mousiness noun

Etymology

Origin of mousy

First recorded in 1805–15; mouse + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Trying to dismiss them, Creon asks in a mousy voice, “Do I need to . . . tip you?”

From The Wall Street Journal

Bud signs up for church wellness counseling and immediately falls in love with his mousy group leader.

From The Wall Street Journal

And though I didn’t want to say it—a little bit mousy.

From Literature

These microbes are known to contaminate white wine, causing spoilage and unpleasant odors, including nail polish remover, geranium and "mousy" odors.

From Science Daily

During World War II there appeared a cartoon, I believe in The New Yorker: A mousy, James Thurber-esque little man is in front of a newsstand.

From Salon