noun
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a substance applied to the body to suppress or mask the odour of perspiration or other body odours
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( as modifier ) Compare antiperspirant
a deodorant spray
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any substance for destroying or masking odours, such as liquid sprayed into the air
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of deodorant
Explanation
Deodorant is a substance that covers up the smell of sweat. You might use deodorant in the summer, applying it under your arms every morning. Deodorant is used to mask the smell of body odors or perspiration, either by keeping you from sweating or by killing the bacteria that can grow in sweaty areas of the body. Most deodorants also have a flowery or musky smell that's meant to overwhelm less pleasant smells. In the mid-1800s, a deodorant was "a substance meant to quell the odor of manure" on a farm or in a garden.
Vocabulary lists containing deodorant
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
My assistance never came, and the deodorant was never purchased.
From Salon • May 22, 2026
Oil-based substances can include lab-made fragrances, propellants that push spray deodorant out of the can, and stabilizing ingredients that help keep everything mixed evenly.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026
A mini natural mouth wash, gum, a charging cord, deodorant, there’s probably a spare pair of socks, and then those sniffy menthol things for your nose.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026
At 7:00 am, relatives brought packages: deodorant, toothpaste, soap and shampoo in labeled plastic bags, plus disinfectant and bleach -- provisions essential for maintaining hygiene in the latrines of tiny cells.
From Barron's • Jan. 10, 2026
Others, a bit older, struggle to hold on to memories: One has slept in her mother’s bed; another has smelled her perfume, put on her deodorant, her clothes.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
