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
Vinegar can help dissolve limescale buildup on faucets, kills stinky bacteria, and is eco-friendly and affordable, too.
—
Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 23 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
Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 23 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
-
America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.—
Mary Ellen Klas,
Mercury News,
26 May 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
Adjective
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After-dinner naps, family movie nights, greasy hands, and dirty pets can contribute to smelly odors, stains, pet hair, and crumbs and dirt that get stuck along the piping and between the couch cushions.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
28 May 2026
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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
Adjective
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There are notes of vanilla, malted chocolate, ripe fruit, pear, oak, and caramel on the palate, with some lingering baking spice, citrus, and dark roast espresso on the finish.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
3 June 2026
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The film unhurriedly lurches from one markedly similar fight scene to the next, with only Skeletor’s occasional injections of ripe innuendo to liven them up a bit.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Be advised that only a small fraction of arums are malodorous.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
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Alicia Sokolowski, president and co-CEO of Aspen Clean Tommy Patterson, director of new product development and technical training at Glass Doctor, a Neighborly company Deodorize Trash Cans Trash cans naturally can become quite malodorous over time.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
21 May 2026
Adjective
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This blood and other stuff that blew out on the road is disgusting, and the smell is really awful.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
26 May 2026
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Both are also, objectively speaking, disgusting.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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Freddie Freeman squeezed one inside the left-field foul pole in the first inning, his fourth home run in nine games (after hitting just one in the previous 35 games).—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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Manny Machado got the Padres back on top by yanking a home run down the left field line and off the foul pole in the fourth while King proceeded to mow down the Nationals with rare efficiency.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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The president had complained about filthy water and a leaking foundation, according to previous USA TODAY reporting.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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And some of the best evidence of the lovebugs’ comeback came last week at the Turkey Lake Service Plaza on Florida’s Turnpike, where filthy, splattered cars and trucks queued up before the plaza’s automatic windshield washer.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 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 6 Jun. 2026.
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