Smelly: meaning, definitions and examples

Used in everyday situations to describe something with an unpleasant odor. Suitable for informal conversations and general descriptions.

• The garbage bin is really smelly; we need to take it out.
• His shoes are so smelly after the workout.

An informal and slightly childish way to describe a bad smell. Often used in casual conversation and can have a playful tone.

• Your socks are so stinky after soccer practice!
• The fridge is getting stinky; something must have gone bad.

Used in more formal or literary contexts to describe something with a very bad smell. Often used in a descriptive and possibly scientific way.

• The malodorous air around the landfill made it difficult to breathe.
• The malodorous swamp was avoided by all the townsfolk.

Used to emphasize a very unpleasant odor. Often found in formal contexts, literature, or to add dramatic effect to a description.

• The foul-smelling liquid leaked from the chemical plant and caused a panic.
• The abandoned house had a foul-smelling interior, likely from years of decay.

Use 'smelly' in everyday conversation to describe something that has a bad or unpleasant odor. It is informal and commonly used in casual settings.

• The kitchen is smelly after cooking fish.
• His shoes are really smelly.

Use 'odorous' in a neutral to mildly negative context to describe something that has a noticeable smell. The smell could be either pleasant or unpleasant.

• The odorous flowers filled the room with their scent.
• Something in the fridge is quite odorous.

Use 'rank' in a context where the smell is extremely offensive or disgusting. This word has a strong negative connotation.

• The rank smell of garbage filled the alley.
• His rank breath made it difficult to sit nearby.

Use 'fetid' in formal or literary contexts to describe a very strong, offensive smell, often associated with decay or rot.

• The fetid air of the swamp was overwhelming.
• They had to clean the fetid room after the animal carcass was removed.