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
Freshen Cat Litter A stinky litter box does not make for a pleasant home.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 May 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, 13 May 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
-
Store smelly wood such as cedar or pine and petroleum products, including tar paper, paint, turpentine, kerosene, rubber and charcoal fluid.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
8 May 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
Some of my favorite things about these characters is the friendships that form separate from the romances, and that also felt ripe for TV adaptation.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
-
That makes the exercise ripe for the hacking.—
Jamie Ducharme,
Health,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
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Gladwin iris or roast-beef plant (Iris foetidissima) has malodorous foliage when crushed.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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How on Earth could this Wild team, after dominating the first period and taking a 3-0 lead with a chance to keep its season alive and force a Game 6, collapse in such an absolutely disgusting fashion?—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
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Just days ago, the CDC announced that over 100 passengers and more than a dozen crew members on a different ship, the Caribbean Princess, have been infected by norovirus—a less fatal but more disgusting illness.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
The ball ricocheted off Holmes’ leg into foul territory on the first-base side.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
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As for next steps in his game, Graves is trying to become a more reliable floor-spacer and perimeter defender; a monstrously high foul rate was his most notable negative during the season.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Inside, filthy soldiers press up against the wood.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
12 May 2026
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Baker said while Fike's immediate surroundings were filthy, a brand-new hospital bed, urinal and wheelchair were available at the home.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
7 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 19 May. 2026.
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