Word of the day, 20 September 2025: ‘Fusty’

Word of the day: FUSTY

Pronunciaton: fus·ty  UK/ˈfʌs.ti/  US/ˈfʌs.ti/

Meaning

Having a stale, mouldy, or musty smell.

Origin and History

The word fusty originates from Middle English, derived from the Old French word ‘fust’, meaning wine cask or tree trunk.

This, in turn, traces back to the Latin word ‘fustis’, which means cudgel or club. Initially, fusty described the stale, mouldy smell of wine that had been stored in a cask for too long.

Over time, the meaning broadened to encompass any stale, musty, or mouldy smell and eventually extended to describe anything old-fashioned or out of date, according to Merriam-Webster.

Examples from literature

• “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.” – The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson

And DeeDee's husband was obviously living with some mistress or other and turning her sour as an old fusty cat. – The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Synonyms

Stuffy

Musty

Stale

Stagnant