fetid

adjective

fet·​id ˈfe-təd How to pronounce fetid (audio)
especially British
ˈfē-tid How to pronounce fetid (audio)
: having a heavy offensive smell
a fetid swamp
fetidly adverb
fetidness noun
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Similarly, Musk has transformed Twitter into a dull, fetid cesspool of White nationalism and paranoid lies. Michelle Goldberg, The Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2024 The city’s shimmering wealth and fetid corruption leap from the page; so, too, does music’s transcendent, radiant power. Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Aug. 2024 Well before swimming in the Seine was prohibited about 100 years ago, the river had already earned a reputation as a fetid open sewer. Jessica Leigh Hester, The Atlantic, 31 July 2024 The cellblock was hot, and the air still and fetid. Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for fetid 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin foetidus, from foetēre to stink

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fetid was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near fetid

Cite this Entry

“Fetid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetid. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

fetid

adjective
fet·​id ˈfet-əd How to pronounce fetid (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on fetid

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!