moldy

/ˈməʊldi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈməʊldi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmōl-dē/ (ame, mw)

moldy — adjective

  • moldypositive
  • moldiercomparative
  • moldiestsuperlative

1. showing mold growth, or having the damp stale smell that comes when something st

1.形容詞B1
釋義

showing mold growth, or having the damp stale smell that comes when something stays wet or closed up for too long.

例句

Obi tossed out the moldy strawberries from the lunchbox.

moldy + noun for food with visible fungus

Gray spots spread across the moldy shower curtain by Monday.

同義詞
  • mildewed

    narrower and slightly more technical, especially for cloth, walls, and bathrooms

  • musty

    usually describes a damp old smell without saying mold is visible

  • stale

    for lost freshness in bread or air, not actual mold growth

  • rotten

    suggests deeper decay, often with a stronger smell

反義詞
  • fresh

    for food or air still in good condition

  • clean

    for surfaces without dirt or fungus growth

  • dry

    for places or materials not holding the dampness that encourages mold

文法句型

moldy + noun

be/smell/look + moldy

turn/go + moldy

用法筆記

Often used for food, walls, cloth, and other things kept in warm or damp places. Go moldy and turn moldy describe the change into this condition.

常見錯誤

❌The soup is moldy after one night in the fridge.
✅The soup has gone bad after one night in the fridge.
💡moldy is used when fungus grows or a clear mold smell develops, not for every kind of spoiled food.

2. old, shabby, or so out of date that a place, thing, or idea feels unpleasantly s

2.形容詞B2
釋義

old, shabby, or so out of date that a place, thing, or idea feels unpleasantly stale.

例句

Antonia booked a moldy motel with torn curtains and thin towels.

moldy + place meaning shabby and neglected

Everyone laughed at the boss's moldy sales jokes from the 1990s.

moldy joke for humor that feels old and tired

同義詞
  • shabby

    the closest neutral word for worn and poorly kept

  • run-down

    often used for buildings or neighborhoods that need repair

  • dated

    best when the problem is being old-fashioned rather than physically worn

  • stale

    often used when jokes or ideas have lost their effect through repetition

反義詞
  • modern

    current in style or method

  • well-kept

    describes a place or object looked after properly

  • smart

    neat and attractive in appearance

文法句型

moldy + noun for shabby place or object

moldy + joke/idea/system

用法筆記

This informal use criticizes something as shabby or old-fashioned. Unlike sense 1, it does not require real fungus or a literal mold smell.

常見錯誤

❌My laptop is moldy because it is broken.
✅My laptop is old and unreliable.
💡this sense criticizes something as shabby or outdated, not simply damaged.