smelling

verb

present participle of smell
1
as in sniffing
to become aware of by means of the sense organs in the nose we smelled the aroma of freshly baked cookies as soon as we walked in the house

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in sensing
to have a vague awareness of I smell something fishy about this situation

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in sucking
to be objectionable or unsatisfactory that movie smells—I wouldn't waste my money on it if I were you

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 smelling Josh Hartnett plays fisherman Calvin Penney, attempting to harvest blue ice for vodka in the face of declining stocks, but finding his haul smelling strangely of ammonia. — Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 The products were Park Hyatt’s usual—delicious-smelling La Labo toiletries. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026 Let this serve as your reminder that a sweet-smelling scented candle makes a lovely present for just about any favorite coworker, significant other, your votive-loving mom, or yourself. — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 2026 The 2026 fragrance market is pivoting toward scents built on contrast and tension, where smelling memorable matters more than smelling conventionally beautiful. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026 The day before, air alerts sent the group to this musty-smelling alcove four times in three hours. — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2026 If garlic or onions regularly leave you smelling off, Cleveland Clinic suggests using them sparingly or swapping in herbs and spices. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2026 Ants line up and overrun a picnic through smelling a neighbor’s pheromones with their tiny antennae. — Michael Morris, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026 On admission, the patient usually arrives well-groomed, smelling nice, well-nourished, and — above all — deeply loved by the caregiver who has devoted a large chunk of their life to their wellbeing. — Alicja Turczyk, The Dial, 29 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelling
  1. sniffing
  2. sensing
  3. sucking
  4. inhaling
  5. feeling
  6. seeing
  7. hearing
  8. noticing
Verb
  • Eventually, Bird’s film — with a script co-written by Matthew Robbins — gets to the meat of the action when Venus’ extremely complicated life runs smack into Ray and his knack for sniffing out bad guys.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2026
  • In the doorframe was the manager, sniffing around, suspicions aroused.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of sniffing
Verb
  • Max Lo, executive director of the Taiwan International Strategic Study Society, said the underlying technology is already used by advanced militaries and remote-sensing organizations.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • But then Dianna, as if sensing my discomfort, turned to look at me.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of sensing
Verb
  • Among the hundreds of thousands of people who took to the streets in France on Tuesday were Paolina and Violette, eighteen and seventeen years old, arguing politely with a white-haired man sucking apple juice from a juice box.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Deadline has established that several top producers have declined to throw their hat into the ring, with many citing concerns about the lack of rights and the production contract sucking creative energy away from other projects.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of sucking
Verb
  • But some people abuse it by inhaling it to feel relaxed or euphoric.
    — Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Tottenham attempted to offload Bissouma last summer, and the club later initiated another internal investigation after an image leaked of Bissouma inhaling nitrous oxide from a balloon again.
    — Colin Millar, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of inhaling
Verb
  • The world’s oldest trees, California redwoods, are feeling the heat.
    — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
  • There is something instructive in the agent concluding a diatribe on quelling revolutionary violence with a note about feeling inspired.
    — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of feeling
Verb
  • Even the role of chief risk officer (CRO), a function where institutional memory and regulatory relationships would seem to argue hardest for continuity, is seeing meaningful outside recruitment.
    — Paul Davis, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • For a blueprint, Johnson points to a handful of NBA stars who have mastered the art of seeing the game unfold a step or two ahead of everyone else — Draymond Green, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and, yes, former Spurs great Tim Duncan.
    — Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of seeing
Verb
  • The actor is partnering with Audien Hearing on a campaign about hearing health after experiencing tinnitus and hearing loss himself.
    — Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Usher syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes vision loss, hearing loss and balance issues, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of hearing
Verb
  • On one occasion in November 2023, a neighbor called police to one of the homes on Arlington’s Woodbrook Street after noticing a man had fallen in the backyard and seemed unable to get up.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
  • That’s a student sitting in a cafeteria or a locker room, noticing a name on a banner or a jersey and deciding on their own that the brand behind it is worth trusting.
    — Karl Mawhinney, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of noticing

Browse Nearby Words

smellers
smelling
smelling (of)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Smelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelling. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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