Synonyms of smells

smells 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of smell

1

as in sniffs

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

• sniffs
• inhales
• scents
• whiffs
• noses
• snuffs
• breathes
• drinks (in)
• snorts
• respires
• savors
• snuffles

2

as in senses

to have a vague awareness of

I smell something fishy about this situation

Synonyms & Similar Words

• senses
• feels
• sees
• notices
• tastes
• perceives
• hears
• scents
• sights
• expects
• looks (at)
• realizes
• eyes
• notes
• anticipates
• witnesses
• discovers
• remarks
• learns
• beholds
• discerns
• views
• suspects
• distinguishes
• observes
• foresees
• finds out
• spies
• regards
• espies
• supposes
• descries
• presumes
• guesses
• assumes
• ascertains
• speculates
• catches on (to)
• divines
• surmises
• foreknows
• conjectures

3

as in sucks

to be objectionable or unsatisfactory

that movie smells—I wouldn't waste my money on it if I were you

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sucks
• bites
• stinks

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rocks
• rules

smells

2 of 2

noun

plural of smell

1

as in scents

the quality of a thing that makes it perceptible to the sense organs in the nose

the smell of vanilla is supposed to be very soothing

Synonyms & Similar Words

• scents
• aromas
• stenches
• sniffs
• odors
• fragrances
• perfumes
• whiffs
• savors
• stinks
• spices
• redolences
• reeks
• fragrancies
• malodors
• attars
• musks
• bouquets
• tangs
• incenses
• funks
• aromaticities
• fetors
• rancidities
• ambrosias

2

as in splashes

a very small amount

the pie has barely a smell of ginger, but lots of cinnamon

Synonyms & Similar Words

• splashes
• specks
• hints
• touches
• glimmers
• sprinklings
• little
• licks
• bits
• traces
• particles
• sparks
• shadows
• shades
• dabs
• smacks
• bites
• flecks
• handfuls
• spatters
• rays
• ounces
• crumbs
• suspicions
• peanuts
• drams
• streaks
• tastes
• shreds
• nips
• mites
• spots
• strains
• drops
• slivers
• soupçons
• scruples
• driblets
• pinches
• molecules
• smidgens
• skoshes
• snaps
• dashes
• scintillas
• parts
• drops in the bucket
• grains
• aces
• vestiges
• atoms
• syllables
• patches
• granules
• doses
• fragments
• scraps
• nibbles
• motes
• portions
• dots
• semblances
• jots
• minims
• sections
• morsels
• minima
• flyspecks
• hoots
• shivers
• nubbins
• whits
• chips
• modicums
• flakes
• smatterings
• splinters
• iotas
• clippings
• scatterings
• shards
• shavings
• tittles
• smatters
• parings
• tatters
• smithereens
• shots

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• loads
• piles
• quantities
• mountains
• lots
• masses
• barrels
• stacks
• heaps
• deals
• bushels
• bundles
• messes
• buckets
• gobs
• boatloads
• abundances
• fistfuls
• wads
• reams
• rafts
• scads
• oodles
• pecks
• volumes
• much
• wealths
• lashings
• profusions
• excesses
• potfuls
• surpluses
• overflows
• plenties
• passels
• embarrassments
• superfluities
• slabs
• chunks
• bonanzas
• lumps
• overmuch
• hunks
• overages
• surfeits
• oversupplies
• superabundances
• overabundances
• overkills

3

as in auras

a special quality or impression associated with something

a law firm with a mahogany-lined boardroom that has the discernible smell of money and power

Synonyms & Similar Words

• auras
• aromas
• feels
• atmospheres
• feelings
• flavors
• senses
• odors
• airs
• moods
• vibrations
• climates
• ambiences
• tempers
• notes
• halos
• patinas
• karmas
• characteristics
• spirits
• romances
• nimbi
• sensations
• pictures
• images
• notions
• attributes
• tones
• traits
• properties
• colors
• mystiques
• aureoles
• illusions
• peculiarities
• suggestions
• overtones
• genius locis
• characters
• marks
• semblances

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of smells

Verb

Once spills and smells sink deep into cushions, the foam can hold onto odors indefinitely. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2026

With a luminous, ambery-woody scent and a sillage that’s caught Rihanna’s attention, Baccarat Rouge 540 famously smells great on everyone. — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2026

The prototype shows how sights, sounds, smells, and tastes could work together. — New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2026

Bacteria emit their own VOCs, which can be picked up in human breath (Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium behind stomach ulcers, smells sulfurous, for example). — Marta Zaraaska, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2026

Fuel that smells sour, appears darker than usual, or shows signs of separation should be drained from the lawn mower and disposed of properly, instead of combined with new fuel. — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 31 Oct. 2026

Air that smells like fish and shrimp rot gushes through the open windows. — Aube Rey Lescure, Longreads, 29 Oct. 2026

Of course, come winter, the great outdoors smells a little different. — Loren Savini, Allure, 27 Oct. 2026

That silent deference smells of weakness, and voters sniff it right out. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026

Noun

That was great, because the smells coming from each component were making my mouth water. — Olivia Tarantino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Nov. 2026

This past June, a fire east of downtown in a massive frozen-food warehouse caused weeks of foul smells and frustration. — ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026

Well, that may soon be a thing of the past, as scientists have figured out a way to transmit smells over the internet. — New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2026

Then one day, the boy’s clothes came no more, and instead his ashes were strewn into the river—ashes with none of the smells that the river remembered on the boy’s collars. — Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026

Part of Voelkl’s job as a master and Senior Perfumer is to guide the research around the research and preservation of certain smells. — Arabelle Sicardi, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2026

Take a towel and soak it in fresh lemon juice before wiping down your shelves and drawers to leave behind a citrus scent that neutralizes funky smells. — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2026

Bad smells coming from your hot water can point to bacteria living in the water heater. — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 25 Oct. 2026

Expanding that connection to the variety of smells people encounter daily remains the next challenge. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026