Synonyms of smelled

smelled

verb

variants or chiefly British smelt

past tense of smell

1

as in sniffed

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

• sniffed
• inhaled
• breathed
• scented
• whiffed
• snuffed
• drank (in)
• nosed
• snorted
• respired
• savored
• snuffled

2

as in sensed

to have a vague awareness of

I smell something fishy about this situation

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sensed
• felt
• saw
• heard
• noticed
• tasted
• perceived
• scented
• realized
• expected
• looked (at)
• discovered
• noted
• remarked
• spied
• learned
• anticipated
• witnessed
• beheld
• observed
• viewed
• discerned
• suspected
• sighted
• ascertained
• regarded
• eyed
• guessed
• found out
• supposed
• espied
• distinguished
• foresaw
• assumed
• caught on (to)
• presumed
• descried
• surmised
• speculated
• divined
• conjectured
• foreknew

3

as in sucked

to be objectionable or unsatisfactory

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sucked
• bit
• stank

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ruled
• rocked

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of smelled

At the hospital, the officer said Lopez smelled like alcohol and had red, watery eyes and his words were slurred. — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026

The L'Occitane Jasmine & Bergamot products smelled good and did the job. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

In my early memories, my grandfather had smelled like carpet cleaner. — Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026

For Dylan Feierabend, there are few things more life-affirming than fishing for redtail surfperch and smelt at Centerville Beach in rural Humboldt County. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

Rather than projecting for others, these more subtle scents are meant to be smelled only by you and others who are lucky enough to get close. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 28 Sep. 2026

To a novice taster, sipping out of a plastic Mets carafe, the wine smelled like dry grass and very ripe blackberries. — Arthur Holland Michel, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026

Daniel and two other men who also smelled the odor this summer haven’t detected it since. — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2026

Cozzi’s colleague eventually checked the office bathroom, which overwhelmingly smelled of cleaning products and alcohol. — Lauren Del Valle, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026