stinking 1 of 3

1
2

stinking

2 of 3

adverb

stinking

3 of 3

verb

present participle of stink
1
as in reeking
to give off an extremely unpleasant smell the dog stinks because she tangled with a skunk again

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in sucking
to be objectionable or unsatisfactory their team really stinks this year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word stinking distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of stinking are fetid, fusty, malodorous, musty, noisome, putrid, and rank. While all these words mean "bad-smelling," stinking and fetid suggest the foul or disgusting.

prisoners were held in stinking cells
the fetid odor of skunk cabbage

How are the words fusty and musty related as synonyms of stinking?

Both fusty and musty suggest lack of fresh air and sunlight, fusty also implying prolonged uncleanliness, musty stressing the effects of dampness, mildew, or age.

a fusty attic
the musty odor of a damp cellar

Where would malodorous be a reasonable alternative to stinking?

The words malodorous and stinking are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, malodorous may range from the unpleasant to the strongly offensive.

malodorous fertilizers

When might noisome be a better fit than stinking?

Although the words noisome and stinking have much in common, noisome adds a suggestion of being harmful or unwholesome as well as offensive.

a stagnant, noisome sewer

When is it sensible to use putrid instead of stinking?

The synonyms putrid and stinking are sometimes interchangeable, but putrid implies particularly the sickening odor of decaying organic matter.

the putrid smell of rotting fish

When is rank a more appropriate choice than stinking?

In some situations, the words rank and stinking are roughly equivalent. However, rank suggests a strong unpleasant smell.

rank cigar smoke

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 stinking
Adjective
This is about a team with a top-10 payroll whose GM committed too stinking much of it to dogs that can’t, or won’t, pull the sled. Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2019 Muttaiah said the man inside the stinking manhole was working without any safety equipment — no gloves, no shoes, no supplemental oxygen. Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2019 GothamGetty Images Aren't expectant parents Jenna Dewan and Steve Kazee just so stinking cute? Emily Dixon, Marie Claire, 3 Dec. 2019 Second, the Huskies covered the spread as the favorite one stinking time? Mike Anthony, courant.com, 29 Aug. 2019 The area included a stinking heap: years of goat dung in layers up to a foot thick. Michael Greshko, National Geographic, 28 Aug. 2019 Man, that’s one crazy set of numbers, not to mention a stinking pile of horse manure, as the two long-revered defenders continue to make one sensational play after another . . Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, 19 July 2019 But his mechanics were already pretty stinking good. Robert Klemko, SI.com, 15 July 2019 Eventually, more fat, oil, and grease congeal onto the mess and build up into giant stinking globs. National Geographic, 16 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stinking
Adjective
  • This is a fruit ripe for picking and every investor, private-equity firm and sovereign wealth fund looking for a prize asset in the world’s most popular domestic football league has kicked the tyres at Spurs, taken the tour and run the numbers.
    Matt Slater, New York Times, 22 June 2025
  • If the leaf comes out with minimal resistance, the fruit is probably ripe.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 22 June 2025
Adjective
  • And maybe a little drunk and sick from all that oily food and crappy wine.
    Helen Schulman, The Atlantic, 26 June 2025
  • Yet the car will likely obey speed limits, never get drowsy or drunk and never rubberneck or give in to road rage.
    Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • Directed by Robert Eggers, the gothic horror film sees newlyweds Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) and Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) haunted by the treacherous, blood-sucking Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard).
    EW.com, EW.com, 30 Dec. 2024
  • This time around, even critics were convinced, joining in with libidinous fans to praise the blood-sucking second season, which was recently nominated for two Critics Choice Awards after being largely snubbed by voting bodies last year.
    Elaina Patton, NBC News, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The film starred Harbour as a drunken, disillusioned Santa Claus ready to hang up his hat when his sense of heroism is stirred by a young girl whose family is taken hostage.
    Michileen Martin, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
  • Even what seems like a one-time drunken slipup with a stranger is usually rooted in something deeper.
    Jenna Ryu, SELF, 11 June 2025
Adverb
  • While Nintendo mostly conceded the corporate tug-of-war over graphical prowess back in 2006 with the Wii, the general plateau of visual enhancements over the last two generations means that games running on Switch 2 look pretty damned good even compared to more premium devices.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025
  • This is typically where everyone’s hindsight becomes so damned good.
    Eli Amdur, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
Verb
  • Deep in the forest, the air whips by cold and fast and smelling of redwoods.
    Nick Czap, Robb Report, 26 Dec. 2024
  • Especially when that includes boarding a Christmastime caboose brimming with holiday decor, smelling hot cocoa wafting through the cars, and enjoying plenty of picturesque views.
    Perri Ormont Blumberg Fox News, Fox News, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Astros rookie Jacob Melton with a WILD catch in foul territory 😱 (via @astros)pic.twitter.com/KqrqRlDECr — B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) June 7, 2025 Otherwise, Melton was off to somewhat slow start to his career prior to the ankle injury.
    Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
  • For Lynn, playing in the minors meant bad lighting and a short foul pole in right at the late McCoy Stadium that cost him home runs.
    Bill Speros, Boston Herald, 15 June 2025
Adjective
  • What To Know Between 12 and 24 inches of heavy wet snow are forecast to fall on the East Glacier Park region above 6,000 feet, and up to 6 inches below that altitude.
    Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
  • Paradise Rot is perhaps less of a wet, watery exploration than the others in this list, and more the study of the porousness of two bodies cohabitating, and the blurring of these bodily lines between each other and their more-than-human cohabitants.
    Siouxzi Connor June 20, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stinking. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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