Synonyms of fetid

fetid

adjective

ˈfe-təd 

as in stinking

having an unpleasant smell

that fetid cheese from Belgium is definitely an acquired taste

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stinking
• ripe
• malodorous
• foul
• reeking
• rotting
• smelly
• filthy
• disgusting
• stinky
• noisome
• rotted
• musty
• strong
• rotten
• fusty
• funky
• frowsy
• dirty
• putrid
• frowsty
• stenchy
• rank
• reeky
• rancid
• vile
• stale
• revolting
• bad
• nasty
• repulsive
• decaying
• offensive
• decayed
• noxious
• spoiled
• odorous
• decomposing
• decomposed
• odoriferous
• skunky
• spoiling
• odiferous

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fragrant
• aromatic
• perfumed
• scented
• sweet
• redolent
• savory
• ambrosial
• flowery
• spicy
• woodsy
• fruity

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fetid distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of fetid are fusty, malodorous, musty, noisome, putrid, rank, and stinking. While all these words mean "bad-smelling," stinking and fetid suggest the foul or disgusting.

prisoners were held in stinking cells

the fetid odor of skunk cabbage

How are the words fusty and musty related as synonyms of fetid?

Both fusty and musty suggest lack of fresh air and sunlight, fusty also implying prolonged uncleanliness, musty stressing the effects of dampness, mildew, or age.

a fusty attic

the musty odor of a damp cellar

When would malodorous be a good substitute for fetid?

Although the words malodorous and fetid have much in common, malodorous may range from the unpleasant to the strongly offensive.

malodorous fertilizers

Where would noisome be a reasonable alternative to fetid?

The meanings of noisome and fetid largely overlap; however, noisome adds a suggestion of being harmful or unwholesome as well as offensive.

a stagnant, noisome sewer

When can putrid be used instead of fetid?

While the synonyms putrid and fetid are close in meaning, putrid implies particularly the sickening odor of decaying organic matter.

the putrid smell of rotting fish

When could rank be used to replace fetid?

In some situations, the words rank and fetid are roughly equivalent. However, rank suggests a strong unpleasant smell.

rank cigar smoke

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of fetid

Decades of despoiling water bodies have taken a terrible toll, filling water bodies with fetid algae that blocks sunlight and smothers the native seagrass beds that are a main food source for manatees. —Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2025

The stumps of dead Joshua trees jutted from the fetid ground cover, while a few others, still alive, appeared anemic and were adorned in wispy strands of plastic debris and dust. —Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025

That is now as pathetic to me as a fetid caveman’s toolmaking would be to a great thinker like da Vinci or even Edgar Allen Poe. —Graham Techler, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2025

Only one of them has a fetish for the fetid stink of porta potties, but the other one has their weird kinks too. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2025