moldy

adjective

ˈmōl-dē 

moldier; moldiest

1

: of, resembling, or covered with mold

2

a

: being old and moldering : crumbling

b

: antiquated, fusty

moldy tradition

moldiness noun

Examples of moldy in a Sentence

Her books became moldy after being left in a damp basement.

The wine had a slightly moldy aroma.

Recent Examples on the Web

From moldy cheese to meat sitting out overnight, health inspectors in Missouri and Kansas found numerous violations at Kansas City-area restaurants in the last two weeks. —Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2026

The inspector found moldy food in the walk-in cooler, drain flies in the dry storage area and insecticide stored on a shelf near some clean dishes. —Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026

Violations included moldy cheese, expired food and employees not washing their hands. —Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 25 Mar. 2026

Gently knock off soil and throw away any moldy bulbs. —Michelle Mastro, Architectural Digest, 24 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for moldy

• mouldy
• soldi

Kids Definition

moldy

adjective

ˈmōl-dē 

moldier; moldiest

: resembling, containing, or covered with mold

moldiness noun

Medical Definition

moldy

adjective

variants or chiefly British mouldy

ˈmōl-dē 

moldier or chiefly British mouldier; mouldiest

: covered with a mold-producing fungus

moldy bread