as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell
a stinky plant that attracts certain insects and then devours them
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Recent Examples of stinky
Compost Deodorizer Baking soda can deodorize our fridge, so why not use it on a stinky compost pile?
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
Keno brought his goofy side to every practice, getting laughs at stinky feet jokes, or pretending to run into a door.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
This extra-large dual bin number from Amazon is effectively a two-in-one, with removable and machine washable laundry bags when things inevitably get stinky.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 20 Apr. 2026
Sargassum, the stinky, slimy bane of beachgoers worldwide, is forecast to swarm over Florida's beaches this summer, experts say.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2026
But over time, knife marks, stinky food odors, and a dry surface can render your wooden cutting board unusable.
—Staff Author, Martha Stewart, 31 Mar. 2026
Golden Leaf, a restaurant in San Gabriel in Los Angeles County, has taken stinky tofu off its menu, according to the Los Angeles Times.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Jenn Harris has a column about a battle over stinky tofu at Golden Leaf restaurant in San Gabriel.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Millions of dead red crabs, normally found further south, washed up on local shores, making a stinky mess.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
Keno brought his goofy side to every practice, getting laughs at stinky feet jokes, or pretending to run into a door.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
This extra-large dual bin number from Amazon is effectively a two-in-one, with removable and machine washable laundry bags when things inevitably get stinky.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 20 Apr. 2026
Sargassum, the stinky, slimy bane of beachgoers worldwide, is forecast to swarm over Florida's beaches this summer, experts say.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2026
But over time, knife marks, stinky food odors, and a dry surface can render your wooden cutting board unusable.
—Staff Author, Martha Stewart, 31 Mar. 2026
Golden Leaf, a restaurant in San Gabriel in Los Angeles County, has taken stinky tofu off its menu, according to the Los Angeles Times.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Jenn Harris has a column about a battle over stinky tofu at Golden Leaf restaurant in San Gabriel.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Millions of dead red crabs, normally found further south, washed up on local shores, making a stinky mess.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stinky
Adjective
-
Not the good, high-altitude ozone that shields us from dangerous UV light, but bad ozone, hovering right above ground level — stinking, brownish, grayish photochemical smog.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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Their solution to a stinking run was, comically, to rely on less than 23 per cent of possession and pick Madrid off with a classy volley from Martin Satriano, below.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Tripti Bhattacharya, a paleoclimatologist at Syracuse University, also takes advantage of waxy substances—though much less smelly ones.—
Hannah Richter,
Scientific American,
7 May 2026
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This part of the bathroom is often overlooked when cleaning the bathroom, but mold, mildew, and mineral deposits can build up in the tank and cause smelly odors.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Here, ripe slices are layered over a buttery, flaky crust with garlic, grated cheese, lemon zest, and fresh herbs, then baked until the edges are deeply golden and the tomatoes are soft and caramelized.—
Andy Baraghani,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
6 May 2026
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The use of biometrics has been controversial, and privacy advocates have warned the practice could be ripe for identity theft and that customers’ biometric data could be shared with law enforcement.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Food that needed to be trashed for age or temperature abuse, malodorous air and filthy food containers were among the 33 violations an inspector found at a popular Miami seafood restaurant.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Gladwin iris or roast-beef plant (Iris foetidissima) has malodorous foliage when crushed.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This administration has unleashed a disgusting anti-immigrant agenda.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
Let women be monstrous, disgusting, angry, feral creatures!—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
To me, a foul is a foul, period!—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
Not to mention that the foul odors that come with stagnant water can be embarrassing when guests visit.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Then downstairs in the filthy little basement, where there's the stone butt carved into the wall, people knew exactly what to do.—
Matt Ortile,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 May 2026
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Strong supports the closing of Men’s Central Jail and said the department needed to look at medical care, filthy living conditions and a lack of healthy food and clean water.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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The bleak tortures Ohm concocts for his characters are as vile as the Bilberry’s fetid jacuzzi.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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The evolutionary advantage of fetid roses was that their odor deterred animal herds that grazed in their habitat.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stinky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stinky. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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