stinky

adjective

Definition of stinkynext
as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell a stinky plant that attracts certain insects and then devours them

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 stinky Knowing divorce is hard on kids is like knowing that water is wet, cigars are stinky, and that Selena Gomez is incapable of acting. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 July 2026 Cushioned insoles create the feeling of bouncing forward with every step, not to mention the mesh outers will eliminate the threat of sweaty, stinky feet. — Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 2026 Yes, having children is a loud, stinky, exhausting, sensory experience. — Parents, 19 July 2026 Two stinky blooms are on display at the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, and time is very limited to catch the stench. — Julie Sharp, CBS News, 13 July 2026 These might be mineral water showers or baths, cold-water enemas, or just drinking 3 glasses of stinky, sulfurous spring water daily before breakfast, while strolling and engaging in pleasant conversation on a landscaped promenade. — Veronique Greenwood, Time, 9 July 2026 Australia’s 2024 stinky ‘black balls’ incident This isn’t the first time mysterious balls were found on Australian beaches, stumping experts and locals alike. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 8 July 2026 Besides creating the right environment for germs and bacteria to thrive, outdoor garbage cans can become moldy, attract scavenging wildlife and pests, and become overwhelmingly stinky. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 July 2026 Let’s respect and appreciate nature in all its messy, sometimes stinky beauty at the cove. — U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stinky
  1. stinking
  2. smelly
  3. ripe
  4. malodorous
  5. disgusting
  6. foul
  7. filthy
  8. fetid
Adjective
  • America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.
    — Mary Ellen Klas, Boston Herald, 1 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of stinking
Adjective
  • Through the trading company Suzuki Shoten, the smelly oil was originally exported to Europe, where it was turned into a solid, odorless fat through a process called hydrogenation.
    — Pei-Hsu Lin, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Double-bag the trash when throwing out wet containers or smelly waste, or bags that are especially heavy.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of smelly
Adjective
  • Talwani said the case was now ripe for a decision because the USPS had proposed a rule, and the election was closer.
    — Nate Raymond, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026
  • With such a glut of quirky comedy coming out of New Zealand, let’s hope this continues for as long as true crime remains ripe for parody.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of ripe
Adjective
  • Skunks can cause anxiety in homeowners by harming lawns and possibly threatening Rover with their malodorous defenses.
    — Felicia Feaster, Martha Stewart, 20 June 2026
  • Be advised that only a small fraction of arums are malodorous.
    — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Definition of malodorous
Adjective
  • In a series distinguished by copious disgusting battle scenes, Ormund co-stars in one of its very grossest—a gross-on-gross-on-gross flambé—and almost gets in one last barf.
    — Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • His central characters can be nasty, disgusting, violent, hysterically cruel, and passionately consumed.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • On the floor were six cots and a couple of mattresses, stained and foul-smelling.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Murakami's lofted his team-leading 26th homer off the left-field foul pole off Williams with one out in the sixth, cutting it to 2-1.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of foul
Adjective
  • Few things at airports irritate customers like filthy toilets or water on the restroom floor.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026
  • His greatest series let people see a character who has revealed the filthiest, most shameful parts of themselves, and imagine them as a mirror.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • The Lineage warehouse fire, which erupted a mile away nearly two months ago, still blankets the church every morning with the fetid stench of millions of pounds of rotting food that have yet to be trucked away.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Those releases were queasy, dank, almost fetid, as though Ableton could manipulate flesh as well as frequencies.
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of fetid

Browse Nearby Words

stink up
stinky
stint
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stinky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stinky. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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