hydrogen sulfide

noun

: a flammable poisonous gas H₂S that has an odor suggestive of rotten eggs and is found especially in many mineral waters and in putrefying matter

Examples of hydrogen sulfide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The smell stems from hydrogen sulfide, one of the main compounds in sargassum, which contributes to a rotten egg smell. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 5 June 2025

Finally, bacteria deep within the bones produce hydrogen sulfide, fueling the chemosynthetic bacteria on the surface of the bones and those living symbiotically inside animal hosts. —Sruthi Gurudev Jules Jacobs, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

Sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide emitted during the eruption measurably cooled the planet for more than a year. —Ramin Skibba, WIRED, 22 Mar. 2025

These microbes oxidize methane, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, generating the nutrients needed for a thriving ecosystem. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hydrogen sulfide

• acetaldehyde
• acetanilide
• arabinoside
• cycloheximide
• cyclophosphamide
• diethylamide
• dinucleotide
• ferricyanide
• ferrocyanide
• glutaraldehyde
• glyceraldehyde
• hydroperoxide

Kids Definition

hydrogen sulfide

noun

: a flammable poisonous gas with a disagreeable odor suggestive of rotten eggs

Medical Definition

hydrogen sulfide

noun

: a flammable poisonous gas H₂S that has an odor suggestive of rotten eggs and is found especially in many mineral waters and in putrefying matter