adjective

fusty

FUS-tee/ˈfʌsti/

Stale and musty from lack of fresh air.

The fusty blankets make the man pinch his nose above the open trunk.

A man recoils from the stale smell of damp, long-stored wool blankets in an open old wooden trunk, holding one blanket near his face while pinching his nose.

Etymology

fustyFrenchtasting of the cask; stale-smelling

French fusté described something tasting of its wooden cask. That association with the container helps explain how the word came to describe a stale smell.

In context

Castle Poetry Magazine5:19

Really? You think I sound like some fusty old like Victorian dude?"

Castle Poetry Podcast with guest poet OLIVE MILLS. "I can't stop speaking in iambic pentameter!"

More examples

A fusty odor drifts out of the closed closet.
These blankets smell fusty after months in storage.
Fresh air makes the basement less fusty.

Forms

fusty · fustier · fustiest

fustiness noun — The quality of smelling stale and musty.

Similar words

musty: Often suggests dampness or mildew along with a stale smell.
stale: Describes lost freshness without necessarily suggesting a musty smell.
stuffy: Emphasizes poor ventilation and discomfort rather than a musty odor.