muffige

Muffige is an adjective in German (and appears in related Dutch-German usage) meaning musty or stale in scent or atmosphere. It is used to describe air, rooms, materials, and clothing that feel damp, mouldy, or lacking freshness. The term conveys a sense of poor ventilation or lingering humidity rather than active spoilage.

Usage and examples include phrases such as eine muffige Luft (a musty air), der Raum riecht muffig (the room smells musty), or muffige Kleidung (musty clothes). In descriptions found in everyday language and literature, muffige is often paired with nouns like Luft, Geruch, Duft, Raum, or Keller to convey a stale, damp odor or feel.

Etymology and related terms: The base German form is muffig; muffige is the inflected attributive form used before feminine singular nouns (for example, eine muffige Luft) and in other contexts according to German declension. The word is related to other Germanic terms describing dampness and odor, and cognates exist in neighboring languages, though exact historical origins are not always specified in common usage.

Comparable terms include modrig (moldy) and muffig itself, which can cover a range from faint mustiness to a clearly dank smell. In everyday use, muffige tends to describe spaces or items that are not spoiled but feel stale or poorly aired, often associated with humidity, lack of ventilation, or neglect.

See also: musty, dampness, mold, musty odor, stale air.