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 Instead, here’s how to make your house smell good with these tricks to tackle smelly odors in your home and promote pleasant scents. — Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2026 Through the trading company Suzuki Shoten, the smelly oil was originally exported to Europe, where it was turned into a solid, odorless fat through a process called hydrogenation. — Pei-Hsu Lin, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2026 Use the water and hydrogen peroxide solution to rinse out smelly garbage cans. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 2 Aug. 2026 While baking soda is famously good at deodorizing smelly things, adding salt to compost piles can interrupt the composting process. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 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
  • For this argument Thomasine was jailed—stuffed into a damp, stinking, deadly stone cell crawling with rats and lice—to force her to change her beliefs.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.
    — Mary Ellen Klas, Boston Herald, 1 June 2026
Definition of stinking
Adjective
  • Is Maggie gonna randomly saunter into Tribal Council with her stinky hammock and two more extra votes?
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Stop at Callicoon Wine Merchant for a bottle paired with a stinky cheese on their sunny patio.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of stinky
Adjective
  • Bountiful seafood pastas are the specialty, but do save some space here or elsewhere for a dessert of po’e, a sweet, dense sponge cake made from mashed ripe bananas.
    — Mark Johanson, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The infants would be able to feed to their stomachs’ content on the increasingly ripe meat without getting close to finishing the entire spread laid before them.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 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
  • Feast on fresh fruits, pastries, cold cuts, omelettes, and traditional foul mudammas while traversing the ancient waterway.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Who hasn’t airballed a foul shot in front of a Catholic school auditorium filled with 50 people on a Saturday morning?
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of foul
Adjective
  • Not only has the gimmick run stale, but her insistence on upping the ante year after year, creating costumes that are increasingly bizarre and disgusting, is a threat to us all.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The actions of their fans, especially their supporter group, was disgusting.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • Los Angeles also struggles with an ongoing homelessness crisis — filthy encampments and rows of rusting RVs are a common sight in many neighborhoods.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • All my women friends, just thinking filthy thoughts about you.
    — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • Delicate glass vessels suspended by metal and connected by pipes gather condensation that drips into a pool of fetid water.
    — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • However, the Mariners play in the AL West, a fetid swamp of baseball disappointment.
    — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of fetid

Browse Nearby Words

smells (of)
smelly
smidgen
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Smelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelly. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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