fetid

adjective

fet·​id ˈfe-təd 

especially British

ˈfē-tid 

: having a heavy offensive smell

a fetid swamp

fetidly adverb

fetidness noun

Synonyms

• stinking
• ripe
• malodorous
• foul
• rotting
• smelly
• reeking
• disgusting
• filthy
• stinky
• noisome
• rotted
• musty
• frowzy
• rotten
• strong
• fusty

Choose the Right Synonym for fetid

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

Examples of fetid in a Sentence

a fetid pool of water

the fetid odor of rotting vegetables

Recent Examples on the Web

Harold had exclaimed when the fetid, turquoise sea had at last come into view. —Nicole Krauss, The Atlantic, 6 July 2025

Decades of despoiling water bodies have taken a terrible toll, filling water bodies with fetid algae that blocks sunlight and smothers the native seagrass beds that are a main food source for manatees. —Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2025

The stumps of dead Joshua trees jutted from the fetid ground cover, while a few others, still alive, appeared anemic and were adorned in wispy strands of plastic debris and dust. —Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025

Not so happy are people trying to swim around the stuff or breathing in the fetid aroma of drying mounds of sargassum. —Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 9 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin foetidus, from foetēre to stink

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fetid

• fretted
• jetted
• netted
• petted
• sweated
• vetted
• wetted
• whetted
• abetted
• brevetted
• gazetted
• indebted

Kids Definition

fetid

adjective

fet·​id ˈfet-əd 

: having a strong unpleasant smell

fetidly adverb

fetidness noun

Medical Definition

fetid

adjective

fet·​id

variants also foetid

ˈfet-əd, especially British ˈfē-tid

: having a heavy offensive smell