smelly

adjective

ˈsme-lē How to pronounce smelly (audio)
Definition of smellynext
as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell your smelly sneakers are enough to raise the dead

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 smelly The smelly smoke from the fires spreading across 2,528 square miles in the Province of Ontario snuck into Lake County overnight last Wednesday into Thursday. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026 Clean Your Washing Machine Front-loading washers can develop smelly odors from mold and mildew growth caused by detergent and fabric softener residue and body soil left inside the washer drum and rubber door seals. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 14 July 2026 As the day goes on, these smelly specimens will close back up and collapse, losing their infamously rotten odor. — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 During hot weather, if your trash often contains wet food scraps that quickly become smelly, like vegetable peels, produce, leftovers, meat, or fish, clean the bin every two weeks. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for smelly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelly
  1. stinking
  2. stinky
  3. ripe
  4. malodorous
  5. foul
  6. disgusting
  7. filthy
  8. fetid
Adjective
  • America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.
    — Mary Ellen Klas, Boston Herald, 1 June 2026
  • Not the good, high-altitude ozone that shields us from dangerous UV light, but bad ozone, hovering right above ground level — stinking, brownish, grayish photochemical smog.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of stinking
Adjective
  • Knowing divorce is hard on kids is like knowing that water is wet, cigars are stinky, and that Selena Gomez is incapable of acting.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 July 2026
  • Cushioned insoles create the feeling of bouncing forward with every step, not to mention the mesh outers will eliminate the threat of sweaty, stinky feet.
    — Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 2026
Definition of stinky
Adjective
  • Tickle the bunches lightly, and only the truly ripe berries will fall, Martha explains.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 July 2026
  • The wine’s ripe fruit can handle the soup’s depth, according to Mbaye, while its savory character works with the okra.
    — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of ripe
Adjective
  • Skunks can cause anxiety in homeowners by harming lawns and possibly threatening Rover with their malodorous defenses.
    — Felicia Feaster, Martha Stewart, 20 June 2026
  • Be advised that only a small fraction of arums are malodorous.
    — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Definition of malodorous
Adjective
  • Over these six weeks, the standard of on-field refereeing was predictably unpredictable, given the wide range of views that exist in different countries on what constitutes a foul, caution or red card.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Joey Bart followed by lining a ball that whizzed over third base and then skidded in foul territory to the base of a wall that juts perpendicular to the infield.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2026
Definition of foul
Adjective
  • This is beyond disgusting, photos like this should be private.
    — StyleCaster Editors, StyleCaster, 24 July 2026
  • His shirt was soaked down below his collarbones, clingy and disgusting.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • Dozens of people had spent almost a year living outside, filthy and exhausted, and for what?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • From shabby apartments to art experiments to filthy needles—with echoes of Patti Smith and Rebecca Makkai—Adler conjures an era of sorrow borne by too many, too young.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • The detainees ate and slept next to the bathrooms; fetid water leaked into the dining area and under the beds.
    — Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
  • The bleak tortures Ohm concocts for his characters are as vile as the Bilberry’s fetid jacuzzi.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Definition of fetid

Browse Nearby Words

smells (of)
smelly
smidgen
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Cite this Entry

“Smelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelly. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of smelly for Spanish Speakers

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