as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell
a stinky plant that attracts certain insects and then devours them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of stinky
Jenn Harris has a column about a battle over stinky tofu at Golden Leaf restaurant in San Gabriel.
—
Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Millions of dead red crabs, normally found further south, washed up on local shores, making a stinky mess.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
Frequent spills on the sides and bottom of the can lead to a sticky buildup that becomes stinky and unsanitary.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
Sardines—the tiny, stinky fish your grandmother probably stocks in her pantry—are the newest beauty food.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 9 Mar. 2026
Baking soda is another eco-friendly cleaning product that miraculously absorbs stinky odors.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 7 Mar. 2026
The weevil’s young (grubs) eat the roots, turning them into a stinky, liquid mash.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Last summer, after years of complaints about the incinerator and deliveries of stinky sludge trucked in from dozens of other communities that sometimes amounted to 30 or more a day, the Woonsocket City Council took the first step to close it.
—Alex Kuffner, The Providence Journal, 3 Mar. 2026
The New York Yankees are dealing with a stinky spring training situation after a sewage leak penetrated their clubhouse and outer hallway, and created pools of fetid water around George Steinbrenner Stadium.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 22 Feb. 2026
Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Millions of dead red crabs, normally found further south, washed up on local shores, making a stinky mess.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
Frequent spills on the sides and bottom of the can lead to a sticky buildup that becomes stinky and unsanitary.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
Sardines—the tiny, stinky fish your grandmother probably stocks in her pantry—are the newest beauty food.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 9 Mar. 2026
Baking soda is another eco-friendly cleaning product that miraculously absorbs stinky odors.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 7 Mar. 2026
The weevil’s young (grubs) eat the roots, turning them into a stinky, liquid mash.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Last summer, after years of complaints about the incinerator and deliveries of stinky sludge trucked in from dozens of other communities that sometimes amounted to 30 or more a day, the Woonsocket City Council took the first step to close it.
—Alex Kuffner, The Providence Journal, 3 Mar. 2026
The New York Yankees are dealing with a stinky spring training situation after a sewage leak penetrated their clubhouse and outer hallway, and created pools of fetid water around George Steinbrenner Stadium.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 22 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stinky
Adjective
-
Not the good, high-altitude ozone that shields us from dangerous UV light, but bad ozone, hovering right above ground level — stinking, brownish, grayish photochemical smog.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Their solution to a stinking run was, comically, to rely on less than 23 per cent of possession and pick Madrid off with a classy volley from Martin Satriano, below.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This list will answer your questions about flying ones, venomous ones, really fast ones, and smelly ones.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The Apollo astronauts occasionally had to deal with smelly situations, including some fecal matter that escaped the waste bag and floated through the capsule during Apollo 10 in 1969.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This Apple deal is ripe for the picking!—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
-
What other surprises de Sitter holds are yet to be seen, but the landscape seems to be ripe for insights, Loparco said.—
Shalma Wegsman,
Quanta Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Gladwin iris or roast-beef plant (Iris foetidissima) has malodorous foliage when crushed.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
-
However, these newer deodorants marketed as whole-body deodorants often do a good job at deodorizing the areas that create malodorous smells.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The amount of disrespect shown the Broncos is disgusting.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Building Alligator Alcatraz and being proud of treating people inhumanely while at the same time stealing money for his charity is disgusting.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Martin's first pitch to former Ranger Adolis García was popped into foul territory and dropped by Burger.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The shots were awarded after a flagrant-one foul call on the Jayhawks, so the Aztecs got the ball right after that.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Space Marines are attempting to reclaim Kronus from the filthy xenos on the planet, leading a heroic charge into a massive Ork army as the Necrons rise again.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The woman was taken to the Fort Worth jail, by then best described as an old, filthy, rat-infested hole in the basement of city hall.—
Kevin Foster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The evolutionary advantage of fetid roses was that their odor deterred animal herds that grazed in their habitat.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The New York Yankees are dealing with a stinky spring training situation after a sewage leak penetrated their clubhouse and outer hallway, and created pools of fetid water around George Steinbrenner Stadium.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stinky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stinky. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
