Main Entry:

mal·odor·ous

Pronunciation:

\-ˈō-də-rəs\

Function:

adjective

Date:

1850

1 : having a bad odor 2 : highly improper <malodorous practices and chicanery in high financial places — New Republic>

— mal·odor·ous·ly adverb

— mal·odor·ous·ness noun

synonyms malodorous, stinking, fetid, noisome, putrid, rank, fusty, musty mean bad-smelling. malodorous may range from the unpleasant to the strongly offensive <malodorous fertilizers>. stinking and fetid suggest the foul or disgusting <prisoners were held in stinking cells> <the fetid odor of skunk cabbage>. noisome adds a suggestion of being harmful or unwholesome as well as offensive <a stagnant, noisome sewer>. putrid implies particularly the sickening odor of decaying organic matter <the putrid smell of rotting fish>. rank suggests a strong unpleasant smell <rank cigar smoke>. fusty and musty suggest lack of fresh air and sunlight, fusty also implying prolonged uncleanliness, musty stressing the effects of dampness, mildew, or age <a fusty attic> <the musty odor of a damp cellar>.