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

And since management changed a decade ago, Ortega, 59, said pungent smells on days the plant operates have prevented him from going outside or opening the windows. — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026

Instead, people may experience the memory as disconnected fragments of sensations, emotions, smells or images. — Michele Patterson Ford, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026

Silicone is also notorious for holding on to stains and smells, but that's a fundamental problem with the material, and not unique to these containers. — Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026

Add the curry paste and cook, stirring actively, until the paste becomes pleasingly aromatic and no longer smells raw, 2 to 3 minutes. — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026

Red Bull looks and smells like the urine of someone who's dangerously dehydrated. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Ready for the sights, smells, and sounds of the 140th annual State Fair of Texas happening later in September in Dallas? — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026

This guy hates smells, blood and gore, so the humor and comedy is in the commitment. — Matt Minton, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026

Crowds of dedicated diners braved the 90-degree heat to line up around the ’50s-style restaurant and took in the sights, sounds and smells of Heart’s for one last time. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026

Noun

Mayor Karen Bass had imposed a 45-day deadline for Lineage to clean everything up as neighbors complained of rotting smells, rodents and flies. — Julie Sharp, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026

Check your light switches to see if the lights flicker on demand, feel warm to the touch, or show any sparks, burning smells, or crackling sounds. — Bianca Lambert, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026

And yet the office—its smells and politics, its grievances petty, existential, or edifying—must have made an impression. — Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026

These repellents are made of stinky smells and bad flavors that deer do not like, like potassium sorbate, whole egg solids, thyme oil, garlic, and sodium lauryl sulfate. — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 13 Aug. 2026

The humidity in the air keeps towels from drying fully, which could lead to mildewy smells. — Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano, The Spruce, 13 Aug. 2026

Pura 4 Smart Fragrance Diffuser Not all hotel rooms are created equal, and that includes the smells that come along with them. — Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2026

When the wind shifts, the smells from the warehouse waft miles away, even weeks after the fire was extinguished. — Celina Tebor, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026

In addition to the candles, the smells of foxgloves, peonies, and birch permeated the space in floral arrangements done by Philippa Craddock. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026