What does musty mean?
Word: Musty
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Musty means smelling damp and old, like a room or cupboard that has been shut up for a long time.
Antonyms: fresh
How do you spell musty?
Syllables: mus - ty
Tricky part: Children often write an o in place of the u, because the word is said quickly. The vowel is the short u of cup.
Watch out for: mosty, mausty
Memory tip: Think of a musty old rug: the short u in rug is the same u you need in musty.
Musty in a sentence
Example 1: Grandpa's old books have a musty smell.
Example 2: We aired the musty blankets in the sunshine before the guests came.
Example 3: The tent smelt a little musty when we unpacked it for the school camp.
Fun Fact
Musty smells usually come from tiny moulds that grow in damp, dark places where fresh air cannot reach.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) cubbord
b) basment
c) wardrob
d) musty
Show answer
d) musty. Cupboard hides a quiet p, wardrobe ends with an e and basement keeps the e of base.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word: musty
a) stale
b) shiny
c) fragrant
d) crisp
Show answer
a) stale. Stale air or bread is old and no longer fresh, which is just what musty describes.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
tumsy
a) mutsy
b) mstuy
c) musyt
d) musty
Show answer
d) musty. Only one of these has the st sound just before the y.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The old trunk in the storeroom smelt mustey after the long rains.
a) rains
b) trunk
c) storeroom
d) mustey
Show answer
d) mustey. Musty needs no e before its y.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these is most likely to smell musty?
a) a loaf of bread straight from the oven
b) a box of books left in a damp cellar
c) a towel dried in the hot sun
d) a bunch of roses picked this morning
Show answer
b) a box of books left in a damp cellar
2. How could you get rid of a musty smell in a room?
a) stack more damp boxes in a corner
b) close the door and draw the curtains
c) open the windows and let the sun in
d) switch off the fan and walk away
Show answer
c) open the windows and let the sun in
