1
as in smelly
having an unpleasant smell
came home from their trip to find stinking garbage that had been left in the kitchen
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drunk
slang
being under the influence of alcohol
warned her husband not to come home stinking—or he'd be sleeping on the couch
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in damn
to a great degree
a huge, showy house that screams, "We're stinking rich!"
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stinking
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
Jackie Calmes, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
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
Verb
But who cares about stinking elections?
—Jackie Calmes, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stinking
Adjective
-
Rainleaf Microfiber Towel A microfiber towel is another takeaway from my camping adventures, where a damp towel can become heavy and smelly.—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Sep. 2025
-
More than half reported feeling uncomfortable about their own or someone else's smelly shoes, and 90 percent kept their shoes in a shoe rack.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But the longer the night went, the drunker Darcey got.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
22 Sep. 2025
-
The pressure of perfection starts to tell on Redford’s character, Paul, who winds up drunk, in Washington Square Park, in broad daylight, tipping garbage over himself.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
But damn if the Hostmaster General did not then go and do it.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Sep. 2025
-
No one gets hour-long lines without damn good BBQ, no matter how inventive the flavors.—
Farhan Mustafa,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Thousands of skeletal creatures were lying on bunks unable to move, while dead bodies were piled in heaps all around the camp, reeking of putrefaction.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Managing up doesn't mean sucking up, heeding your boss' every whim, keeping any disagreement to yourself, or bending over backwards to make leaders happy.—
Stav Ziv,
CNBC,
25 Sep. 2025
-
These sprays suffocate mites as well as the other sucking insects mentioned above.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The fabric also features Lululemon’s signature Silverescent technology, which prevents the growth of stinky bacteria.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Sep. 2025
-
An alkaline compound, baking soda is a non-toxic cleaner with a coarseness that works wonders for scrubbing grime, removing difficult stains, and deodorizing stinky odors.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As the episode draws to a close, Christine takes a drunken Benjamin away as Arthur and Edward turn reflective.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Feng has a drunken smile on his face the entire time.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
18 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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To take just one example from many hundreds, consider this conical, solid brass paperweight from minimalist Swedish firm Les Few, which will weigh down your expense reports and look damned good doing it.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
8 Sep. 2025
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The car scenes are rough, authentic, and often deeply compelling — mainly because the fresh-faced Bridges is so damned charismatic.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stinking. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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