1
: to have a very bad smell
These dirty clothes stink.
Something stinks in here.
—often + ofHis clothes stank of dead fish.
—sometimes used figurativelySomething stinks about his story. [=something about his story does not seem true or honest]
The whole project stinks of corruption.
2
informal
a
: to do something very poorly
I stink at golf. [=I'm a very bad golfer]
b
: to be very low in quality
The movie stunk. [=the movie was very bad]
The food is good at that restaurant, but the service stinks.
c
: to be very unpleasant, unfair, etc.
Having a root canal stinks.
It stinks that you can't stay longer. [=I'm very sorry/disappointed that you can't stay longer]
1
: a very bad smell
the stink of garbage
2
informal
: a situation in which someone complains in a very angry and often public way
She caused (quite) a stink when her request was refused.
People raised a stink about the new law.
He kicked up a stink about the way he'd been treated.
Cite this Entry
“Stink.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/stink. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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