molder

1 of 2

verb

mold·​er ˈmōl-dər 

moldered; moldering ˈmōl-d(ə-)riŋ  ; molders

intransitive verb

: to crumble into particles : disintegrate, decay

molder

2 of 2

noun

mold·​er ˈmōl-dər 

plural molders

: one that molds something or someone

a molder of minds

an iron molder

… the house and home as both a reflection and a molder of the people who live there.

—Laurie Graham

especially : one that exerts a determining influence on an attitude or course of development

… seems to have slipped almost effortlessly into his newly acquired role as a molder of world events.

—Molly Moore

… key opinion molders in Congress and the U.S. media …

—Michel Oksenberg

Synonyms

Verb

• break down
• corrupt
• decay
• decompose
• disintegrate
• fester
• foul
• mold
• perish [chiefly British]
• putrefy
• rot
• spoil

Examples of molder in a Sentence

Verb

leaves moldering in the compost pile

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

After a snack in the exhibit’s café, we were fortified to wander our way back to the hotel, stopping by famous bookstore Libreria Acqua Alta to visit the shop cats and climb the moldering tower of books out back. —Jeanne O'Brien Coffey, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024

These curious creations are bizarre, charming, and edgy enough to keep you glued to the couch, whether that’s in your tidy condo or a moldering gothic mansion. —Sara Netzley, EW.com, 21 Sep. 2024

Noun

Francis is your classic mafia mom — a confidant and active molder of her son and his underworld career. —Andy Andersen, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024

The bankrupt film rental company left 24,000 of its signature red boxes to molder. —Melvin Backman, Quartz, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

frequentative of mold entry 4

First Known Use

Verb

1531, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1599, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

molder

verb

mold·​er ˈmōl-dər 

moldered; moldering -d(ə-)riŋ 

: to crumble to bits by slow decay : decay