smell

1 of 2

verb

ˈsmel 

smelled ˈsmeld  or chiefly British smelt ˈsmelt  ; smelling

transitive verb

1

: to perceive the odor or scent of through stimuli affecting the olfactory nerves : get the odor or scent of with the nose

2

: to detect or become aware of as if by the sense of smell

I smell trouble

3

: to emit the odor of

intransitive verb

1

: to exercise the sense of smell

2

a(1)

: to have an odor or scent

(2)

: to have a characteristic aura or atmosphere : smack

the accounts … seemed to me to smell of truth

—R. S. Bourne

also : seem, appear

the story didn't smell right

b(1)

: to have an offensive odor : stink

(2)

: to be of bad or questionable quality

all this from the moral point of view smells

—A. F. Wills

smeller noun

smell

2 of 2

noun

1

: the property of a thing that affects the olfactory organs : odor

2

a

: the process, function, or power of smelling

b

: the sense concerned with the perception of odor

3

a

: a very small amount : trace

add only a smell of garlic

b

: a pervading or characteristic quality : aura

the smell of affluence, of power

—Harry Hervey

4

: an act or instance of smelling

Phrases

smell a rat

: to have a suspicion of something wrong

smell blood

: to sense an opponent's weakness or vulnerability

smell the roses

: to enjoy or savor life

Synonyms

Verb

• nose
• scent
• sniff
• snuff
• whiff

Noun

• aroma
• odor
• redolence
• scent
• sniff

Choose the Right Synonym for smell

smell, scent, odor, aroma mean the quality that makes a thing perceptible to the olfactory sense.

smell implies solely the sensation without suggestion of quality or character.

an odd smell permeated the room

scent applies to the characteristic smell given off by a substance, an animal, or a plant.

the scent of lilacs

odor may imply a stronger or more readily distinguished scent or it may be equivalent to smell.

a cheese with a strong odor

aroma suggests a somewhat penetrating usually pleasant odor.

the aroma of freshly ground coffee

Examples of smell in a Sentence

Verb

She leaned over and smelled the flowers.

I have a cold right now so I can't smell.

I can't smell anything because I'm so stuffed up.

I could smell dinner cooking.

I think I smell gas.

This car smells like mold.

Can't you smell the profits?

Noun

the distinctive smell of onions

Dogs have a keen sense of smell.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Audiences can smell the difference between social media virtue signaling and real offense. —Dave Itzkoff, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024

Tesoro looks and smells like a bright streetside cafe in Zacatecas. —Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2024

The resulting collection of three creams, three booster roll-on fragrances and a serum also address the effect of texture and smell on our emotional responses. —Kathleen Baird-Murray, Vogue, 10 Apr. 2024

Elliot is currently developing a perfume inspired by gay clubs that smells of leather, sweat, cigarettes and used underwear. —Cassidy George, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024

So, wake up and smell the coffee, and clean that coffee maker today! —USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024

At Caesars Atlantic City, whose ground floor has slot machines glowing as far as the eye can see, visitors can still smell the smoke from some non-smoking sections. —Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024

These are some of my favorite things to cook and eat, but while their aromas can be enticing in the moment, no one wants to smell these foods hours or even days after they’ve been cooked and consumed. —Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024

The bathroom had a massive stand-alone tub and a rainfall shower with soaps made by local artisans that smelled woodsy and decadent. —Taylor McIntyre, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2024

Noun

My neighbor’s tenant sometimes smokes weed outside his abode, and the smell drifts into my yard. —Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024

Because some garments, like a Charles Frederick Worth ball gown from 1877, are too delicate to be worn, the exhibit will use a diverse range of technologies and activations to create a sensory experience for all the garments, invoking senses from smell and sound to texture and motion. —Cady Lang, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024

Other telltale signs included shuttered windows and complaints from neighbors about pungent smells and suspicious vans coming and going. —Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2024

If the musty smell of vintage cardboard record jackets and paper inner sleeves is an intoxicant, Chern, who writes out your purchase by hand on a receipt pad like a record store clerk did at the defunct Spec’s Music in 1978, must be perpetually high. —Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024

That can look like a fear of texture, [or] different aversions to smells. —Rachel Wenzlaff, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2024

Undo any mud streaks, wet dog smell, or accidents with this portable tool that pet owners rave about. —Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024

The smell of mothballs wafts from the interior, the ghost of the paradichlorobenzene used decades ago to keep beetles and other pests away from the precious collection. —Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024

But the garter snakes zeroed in on their own tampered smell and ignored variations of the other snakes’ smells. —Asher Elbein, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing smell

• smell a rat
• smell blood
• smell out
• smell the roses
• smell trouble
• wake up and smell the coffee/roses

Kids Definition

smell

1 of 2 verb

ˈsmel 

smelled ˈsmeld  or smelt ˈsmelt  ; smelling

1

: to become aware of an odor by means of the sense organs located in the nose

smell dinner cooking

2

: to detect or become aware of as if by the sense of smell

smell trouble

3

: to use the sense of smell

4

a

: to have or give off an odor

the candles smell like roses

b

: to have a disagreeable odor : stink

c

: to give a hint or trace of something

the plan smells of trickery

smeller noun

smell

2 of 2 noun

1

: odor, scent sense 2

2

: the process or power of becoming aware of an odor

also : the sense by which one detects odor

3

: a special quality associated with a given source : aura

the smell of adventure

4

: an act of smelling

Medical Definition

smell

1 of 2 verb

ˈsmel 

smelled ˈsmeld  or smelt ˈsmelt  ; smelling

transitive verb

: to perceive the odor or scent of through stimuli affecting the olfactory nerves : get the odor or scent of with the nose

intransitive verb

: to exercise the sense of smell

smell

2 of 2 noun

1

: the property of a thing that affects the olfactory organs : odor

2

: the special sense concerned with the perception of odor