Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Covered with mold: Describes something that has developed a fuzzy, often greenish or whitish fungal growth, typically due to age, dampness, or decay.
   • Smelling of mold: Describes something that has the stale, damp, and unpleasant odor characteristic of mold or mildew.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • She threw away the moldy cheese. (The cheese was covered with visible fungal growth.)
  • The basement had a moldy smell after the flood. (The air in the basement carried the characteristic odor of mold.)
  • We found some moldy bread at the back of the pantry. (The bread had developed mold.)

Advanced Usage

• Figurative Use: Can be used informally to describe something as old-fashioned, stale, or lacking in freshness or new ideas.
  • His jokes are a bit moldy; we've heard them all before. (His jokes are stale and unoriginal.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mouldy: The British English spelling of "moldy."
• Mold (noun): The furry growth of fungi, often appearing on old food or in damp places.
• Mildewy: Similar to moldy, often specifically referring to a similar type of fungal growth or its smell.

Synonyms

• Musty: Having a stale, damp smell, often similar to moldy.
• Decayed: Rotted or decomposed.
• Fusty: Smelling stale, damp, or stuffy.

Idioms and Phrases

• To feel moldy: An informal expression meaning to feel unwell, tired, or out of sorts.
  • I stayed up too late and now I feel moldy.

Adjective

1. covered with or smelling of mold
   • moldy bread
   • a moldy (or musty) odor