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

Seasoned explorers will generally bring gas meters to check for dangerous levels of fumes, including potentially flammable hydrogen sulfide, which is produced by decomposition, Duncan said. —ABC News, 4 June 2026

The surge of untreated wastewater into the Tijuana River Channel produced sharp spikes in hydrogen sulfide emissions in nearby communities. —Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2026

One of the latest challenges is hydrogen sulfide – a foul-smelling gas given off by decomposing bat droppings inside the chamber, that caused some crew members to faint, Kengkad told CNN. —Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 28 May 2026

Instead, like other species that live on hydrothermal vents, the snail is home to bacteria that feast on hydrogen sulfide, oxygen, and carbon dioxide and convert those chemicals into sugar. —Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 May 2026

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