as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell
your smelly sneakers are enough to raise the dead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
If the yellowing leaves are limp or mushy, or the soil is smelly, overwatering is the likely culprit.
—
Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Jan. 2026
Kampot is also renowned for its durian, a tropical spiky fruit which—despite its pungent smell, often compared with smelly socks—is beloved for its sweet custardy taste.
—Vicky Smith, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
There are two reasons a clog happens: Larger pieces of food may become trapped in the drain if the dishes are not scraped before loading them into the machine, or sludge and food buildup from smaller residue on dishes accumulate in the drain over time leading to a smelly clog.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 16 Jan. 2026
Avoid adding smelly meats, fruit rinds or other sweet-smelling food scraps to your compost.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smelly
Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Jan. 2026
Kampot is also renowned for its durian, a tropical spiky fruit which—despite its pungent smell, often compared with smelly socks—is beloved for its sweet custardy taste.
—Vicky Smith, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
There are two reasons a clog happens: Larger pieces of food may become trapped in the drain if the dishes are not scraped before loading them into the machine, or sludge and food buildup from smaller residue on dishes accumulate in the drain over time leading to a smelly clog.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 16 Jan. 2026
Avoid adding smelly meats, fruit rinds or other sweet-smelling food scraps to your compost.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smelly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smelly
Adjective
-
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
-
Their solution to a stinking run was, comically, to rely on less than 23 per cent of possession and pick Madrid off with a classy volley from Martin Satriano, below.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But over time, knife marks, stinky food odors, and a dry surface can render your wooden cutting board unusable.—
Staff Author,
Martha Stewart,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Liao estimated that the stinky tofu represented 10% to 20% of the restaurant's total revenue — making the decision to take it off the menu difficult.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
However, clearly the conditions are ripe for at least a partial resumption of shipping traffic.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The show is really ripe for online discourse; did any of the reactions to the book surprise you?—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Gladwin iris or roast-beef plant (Iris foetidissima) has malodorous foliage when crushed.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
-
However, these newer deodorants marketed as whole-body deodorants often do a good job at deodorizing the areas that create malodorous smells.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Shaw lined out to right field, Bregman popped out into foul territory and, after Ian Happ was intentionally walked, Seiya Suzuki also popped out in foul territory to end the game.—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Playing first base, he was booed for dropping a foul pop-up, then made a catch on a similar ball.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This was in itself disgusting but also came to represent the city’s problems.—
Rachel Sugar,
Curbed,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Living under an openly misogynistic president may have felt freakish in 2017, but by his second term, bigotry became yet another disgusting norm.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Kilitch Healthcare had serious quality lapses, in which the facility was filthy, employees were barefoot on the manufacturing floor and the company fraudulently passed products that failed sterility tests.—
C. Michael White,
The Conversation,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Common areas are often filthy, and increasingly populated by drug users.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Tired of the stale, fetid air looming over your apartment like a cloud?—
Brad Bourque,
Wired News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The evolutionary advantage of fetid roses was that their odor deterred animal herds that grazed in their habitat.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smelly. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
