mouldered
Crumbled to dust
Mouldered is the past tense of moulder, meaning to decay or crumble gradually through natural decomposition.
The word typically describes organic matter breaking down over time: The old books mouldered in the damp basement, Leaves mouldered on the forest floor.
Figuratively, things that moulder waste away through neglect: His talents mouldered unused.
Moulder is the British spelling; Americans write molder.
Abandoned or neglectful
- ramshackleBadly deteriorated from neglect
- tumbledownRuined through neglect
- dilapidatedRuined through neglect
- decrepitWorn by age
ruinous · crumbled · collapsed · abandoned · wrecked · shattered · blighted · uninhabitable
Not given proper attention
- abandonedLeft behind completely
- forgottenNo longer recalled
- overlookedNot noticed or considered
- disregardedNot given consideration
forsaken · unremembered · lost · obscure · bygone · relic · antiquated · archaic
Stale from dampness
- dankDisagreeably cold and wet
- fustyStale from disuse
- staleNo longer fresh
- mildewyAffected by fungal growth
earthy · rank · fetid · putrid · malodorous · reeking · damp · clammy
Spore-reproducing decomposers
- sporesAsexual reproductive bodies
- humusDecayed organic soil matter
- mouldShaping cavity or fungus
- mildewFungus from dampness
mycelium · compost · detritus · soil · peat · mulch · earthworms · microorganisms
Breaking down gradually
- disintegratingBreaking down gradually
- decomposingOrganic matter breaking down
- rottingOrganic matter decomposing
- deterioratingBecoming progressively worse
decaying · withering · eroding · corroding · degrading · perishing · wasting · desiccating
derelict
Abandoned or neglectful
- ramshackleBadly deteriorated from neglect
- tumbledownRuined through neglect
- dilapidatedRuined through neglect
decrepit · ruinous · crumbled · collapsed · abandoned · wrecked · shattered · blighted · uninhabitable · weathered
neglected
Not given proper attention
- abandonedLeft behind completely
- forgottenNo longer recalled
- overlookedNot noticed or considered
disregarded · forsaken · unremembered · lost · obscure · bygone · relic · antiquated · archaic · obsolete
musty
Stale from dampness
mildewy · earthy · rank · fetid · putrid · malodorous · reeking · damp · clammy · airless
fungi
Spore-reproducing decomposers
mildew · mycelium · compost · detritus · soil · peat · mulch · earthworms · microorganisms · bacteria
crumbling
Breaking down gradually
- disintegratingBreaking down gradually
- decomposingOrganic matter breaking down
- rottingOrganic matter decomposing
deteriorating · decaying · withering · eroding · corroding · degrading · perishing · wasting · desiccating · fragmenting
moulderedpreserved
Kept from deterioration
conserved · maintained · fresh · intact · pristine