frowsty
- adjective
- /ˈfraʊsti/
- Archaic
:
rancio
- The air in the basement was frowsty after months without ventilation.
Examples
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She opened the windows to dispel the frowsty smell from the old classroom.
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Their coats picked up a frowsty scent after being stored in the damp hallway.
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The room smelled frowsty after being closed for weeks.
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Is that a frowsty odor coming from the basement?
-
The air in the basement was frowsty after months without ventilation.
-
She opened the windows to dispel the frowsty smell from the old classroom.
-
The room smelled frowsty after being closed for weeks.
Synonyms
29
3.4
Too warm and without fresh air
29
3.9
A stale, slightly damp smell like old things kept without fresh air
13
2.7
A room with little fresh air that feels uncomfortable to breathe in
Having a stale, stuffy smell as if it has not been aired
Warm and stuffy because there is little fresh air
Antonyms
How Stale
Surface Forms
Morphology
frowsty = frowst (opaque) = frowst + y
The adjective is formed with the productive suffix '-y' from the rare/archaic base 'frowst', which most learners do not know, so the meaning is not readily guessable.
Etymology
Frowsty comes from an old word frowst meaning 'stuffy' or 'stale', used for air that feels closed up. Think of a room with old coats and no fresh air — that 'frowst' smell is why frowsty today means a place that smells stale and unpleasant.