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fusty

fusty

1 9.9
Old-fashioned and slow to accept new ideas
  • adjective
  • /ˈfʌsti/
translation icon : anticuado
  • The fusty old library was filled with dusty books that hadn't been opened in decades.
  • fusty old

Examples

  • Saying essentially the same thing, Bloom was complex and modern, while Bate was fusty and old-fashioned.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Most geographers think of the theory of environmental determinism as a musty, fusty relic of the past.

    Academic text (1999)
  • At the risk of sounding like a fusty old professor, let me give you a sampling of themes from some great works of fiction (all of which are, of course, open to interpretation).

    Academic text (2010)
  • "My God!" Vanessa's mother exclaimed in open horror when, nineteen years ago almost to the month, she learned of her daughter's engagement to a fusty academic who was just old enough to be her father.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • So delighted, in fact, that from the folds of his fusty robe, Mahdi's fingers withdrew a length of charcoal as thick as three fingers.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • At worst, it amplified his primary weakness: that he is a fusty old man drenched in a salty combo of Dewar's and lower-lip sweat.

    Blog text (27)
  • Walking through the fusty antiques shop, she noticed the smell of old wood and aged leather.

  • The fusty decor in the restaurant gave it a nostalgic charm that many customers appreciated.

Synonyms

fuddy
vsfusty
  • Archaic
11 9.9

Old-fashioned and not open to new ideas

emphasizes antiquity and musty qualities rather than simple dullness
frumpy
vsfusty
  • Informal
11 7.3

Clothes or a person that look old-fashioned and not attractive

highlights stale or musty qualities linked to age rather than bad dress
nonprogressive
vsfusty
1 8.0

Old-fashioned and not open to change

is more about outdated appearance or musty qualities than ideological resistance
standpat
vsfusty
  • US
9.9

Not willing to change and sticking to old ways

is old-fashioned in style or smell rather than in political stance
unprogressive
vsfusty
7.7

Not willing to accept new ideas and slow to change

focuses on old-fashioned look or stale atmosphere rather than refusal to change
frumpish
vsfusty
  • Informal
9.9

Looking plain and out of fashion in a dull way

focuses more on antique scent and age than on plain old style
fuggy
vsfusty
  • UK
9.9

Warm and stuffy because there is little fresh air

is about being old-fashioned and out of date rather than just stuffy

Antonyms

1.4

Relating to the present time and new ways of doing things

306 1.0

New and not used before

How Old-Fashioned

antiquated
32 8.2
fusty
1 9.9
old-fashioned
149 4.7
dated
3 6.2

Surface Forms

fusty positive

Morphology

fusty = fust (semi-transparent) = fust + y

The adjective is formed by -y from the noun 'fust' (mustiness); the sense 'old-fashioned' is a metaphorical extension from 'stale/musty', so the relation is not fully literal for learners.

Etymology

The word fusty comes from the old word fustian, a heavy cloth that often smelled damp and old, so people used fusty for ideas or styles that felt stale or 'out of date'.