stink 1 of 2

noun

Definition of stinknext
1
as in stench
a strong unpleasant smell the stink of burned plastic lingered in the kitchen for days after we accidentally melted a spatula on the stove

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in objection
a feeling or declaration of disapproval or dissent many town residents raised an unholy stink about the proposal to increase taxes yet again

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stink

2 of 2

verb

ˈstiŋk How to pronounce stink (audio)
1
as in to smell
to give off an extremely unpleasant smell the dog stinks because she tangled with a skunk again

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to suck
to be objectionable or unsatisfactory their team really stinks this year

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 stink
Noun
First, to Lu Leccisu, which was all golden summer grasses, swaying in a stink that blew in from the waters of the nearby sewage treatment plant. — Angelica Calabrese, Longreads, 7 July 2026 No matter who wins, FIFA will have trouble getting rid of the stink. — Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026
Verb
The stinking body was soon discovered in the hold, and Colt was arrested not long after that. — Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026 In Toilet Base Regularly cleaning your toilet with water and vinegar will keep the smells away, but will also clean any of the germs that fester in and around your toilet and make the area stink, according to Knoll. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for stink
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stink
  1. stench
  2. objection
  3. smell
  4. suck
  5. exception
  6. reek
  7. complaint
  8. question
Noun
  • After the smoke subsided, residents reported feeling effects from the stench of rotting meat and food from the warehouse interior, where it had been stored frozen on tall racks that were hundreds of feet across.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Cleanup efforts, meanwhile, were continuing at the Lineage Logistics food-storage warehouse following the massive June 17 fire, with the stench of rotting food and pest problems disrupting the surrounding neighborhood, according to reports.
    — City News Service, Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of stench
Noun
  • The sale has drawn objections from the flight attendants union and a software firm that says some of the data isn’t Spirit’s to sell.
    — Jeff Kleinma, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Collins, Scott, and Whitmer spent much of the past year and a half framing their objections as cautionary.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of objection
Verb
  • North Texas residents are seeing and smelling smoke because of a shift in wind direction from the Ross Fire, which has burned more than 80,000 acres in Palo Pinto and Jack counties.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Dogs slept outside and got baths every six months and sometimes disappeared for three days and then came home smelling like Paris Hilton circa 2003, and no one asked any questions.
    — Mimi Montgomery, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of smell
Verb
  • In a flash, she was sucked upward, through the light and into an ethereal room without borders.
    — Michael Collins, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Among the many potential downsides for letting the national debt get too high was that the federal government would suck up so much capital that businesses wouldn’t be left with enough.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of suck
Noun
  • With rare exceptions, EV sound is little more than an affectation.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Washington had carved out exceptions for itself and some European countries to buy Russian oil, and the Biden administration had even encouraged India to buy Russian oil under a price cap as part of a plan to stabilize the global oil market.
    — C. Raja Mohan, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of exception
Verb
  • The main barn had collapsed, the lodge reeked of pack rats, garter snakes had claimed another building, and one of the cabins was leaning downhill.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The Mystic of my childhood, though, had a modicum of edge — kids with anarchy symbols on their jackets skateboarded outside a coffee shop that reeked of weed, and locals got rowdy at a dysfunctional watering hole called the Draw Bridge Inne.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026
Definition of reek
Noun
  • Grannell has made other threats this year, beginning five months ago, according to the account of an FBI special agent that is described in a criminal complaint.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The first ethics complaint was filed last Friday by an employee of the City Attorney's Office who also asked to remain anonymous.
    — Brian Maass, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of complaint
Noun
  • As Kevin Warsh thinks more hawkishly than expected in Washington, the answers to many of his questions may be in Seoul.
    — William Pesek, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Although not quite as polished on the racial politics front, Lanterns’s third episode is no less intriguing, as an hour of television dedicated not only to answering pressing questions but fleshing out its lead character in disturbing ways.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of question

Phrases Containing stink

Browse Nearby Words

stingy
stink
stinkard
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stink.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stink. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All