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 Witnesses reported smelling gas before the explosion, according to Reuters. — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026 In addition to bacterial growth, strong-smelling food residue can transfer odors to porous kitchen materials such as wood, fabrics, and sponges. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 27 July 2026 Many who are bitten never develop an allergic reaction at all, while others become so sensitive that merely smelling hamburger smoke can set off a painful response. — Andy Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2026 Few things can derail a day faster than greasy, limp or unpleasant-smelling hair. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 25 July 2026 The luxurious, rich-smelling fragrance boasts clean, floral notes and a musky vanilla anchor. — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 22 July 2026 This eau de parfum, in particular, balances fruity and floral well—without smelling like your grandma’s perfume that’s been on her vanities for decades. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 21 July 2026 After a minute or two, a spray of water came from the hole, smelling suspiciously like the Newtown Creek. — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026 Grab the $16 find at Target, and silky, fresh-smelling hair awaits. — Claudia Fisher, Parents, 17 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelling
  1. sniffing
  2. sensing
  3. sucking
  4. inhaling
  5. feeling
  6. seeing
  7. hearing
  8. noticing
Verb
  • If the Jazz are sniffing around the Play-In or more, Peterson will get a lot of attention.
    — The Athletic NBA Staff, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • The plot involves Brian trying to get out of an emotional and psychological rut by volunteering to be a drug-sniffing dog for the local police force.
    — Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 25 July 2026
Definition of sniffing
Verb
  • The systems are intended to support detection and tracking across a range of threats and missions, strengthening the sensing capabilities available to ships at sea.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026
  • Researchers have tried to solve this problem by adding separate sensing layers to the grippers, which gives robots a better sense of touch.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 20 July 2026
Definition of sensing
Verb
  • Mora edits each episode himself, often while sucking on pouches of Zyn.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 28 July 2026
  • The movie keeps getting tangled in a complicated web of its own making, one that feels all too familiar after several decades of superhero cinema sucking up the cultural oxygen.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026
Definition of sucking
Verb
  • Health effects from inhaling wildfire smoke But the effects are sweeping, said Hayden, who has developed real-time mapping of mortality estimates from wildfire smoke.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 18 July 2026
  • In many cases, people contract the disease by inhaling tiny droplets of contaminated water.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
Definition of inhaling
Verb
  • However, instead of feeling guilty about her time away from home, Huntington-Whiteley wants her work ethic to serve as an inspiration for her daughter.
    — Katie Mannion, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026
  • Thanks to a sprint-pace El Niño, humidity is feeling tropical across coastal Southern California.
    — Sean Macaday July 27, Sacbee.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of feeling
Verb
  • Mead played three different infield positions for the Nationals, seeing time at third base, first base and second base.
    — Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 26 July 2026
  • With softball seeing continued audience growth during the Women’s College World Series, college regular season and now the AUSL, expectations are rising as the sport will make its return to the Olympics at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
    — Molly Keshin, New York Times, 26 July 2026
Definition of seeing
Verb
  • There's also the company's TrueSpatial 3D tech which pairs with head tracking hardware to emulate the experience of hearing powerful speakers directing sound towards you across a wider soundstage for greater immersion.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 July 2026
  • Cops had been alerted about the situation by Thomas’ wife, who called 911 after hearing gunshots and discovering a body on a bed.
    — Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026
Definition of hearing
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, a legal services nonprofit, has been noticing an uptick in ICE arrests at airports around the region.
    — Dennis Valera, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • Your smartphone is enough to start noticing the world differently.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 30 July 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 3 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of smelling for Spanish Speakers

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