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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
David Aldridge, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
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
Jackie Calmes, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Four plays, 76 yards, in 25 stinking seconds.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
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
-
Take out the trash immediately after throwing away smelly items like diapers and leftovers from your seafood dinner.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
19 Oct. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
The woman, who is five-months pregnant, explained on the community forum Mumsnet that she was left looking after her 4-year-old son at a wedding after her husband decided to get drunk at the wedding party.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Meanwhile, Malcolm is only getting drunker and more sullen as the reception progresses.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
10 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Well, his lower body looks damn good to start.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Viv, Fred and I were just props, damn good props, but props nevertheless.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 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
-
Battery life can be affected by many factors, but the MX Master 4’s haptic feedback is probably the most battery-sucking feature on the new mouse.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Eddie is happy to sit in the corner with Shane, sucking on his new veneers, and let the women tear each other to shreds, never getting involved.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Welcome back to everyone’s favorite drunken advice column.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The intense coddling and dysfunction within the family come to a head at the end of the show opener when a drunken Paul crashes a boat, killing his best friend’s girlfriend, Mallory (Madeline Popovich), and injuring all on board.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
15 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
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
-
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 21 Oct. 2025.
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