stench
Americannoun
-
an offensive smell or odor; stink.
-
a foul quality.
noun
Related Words
See odor.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stench
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English stenc “odor (good or bad)”; akin to stink
Explanation
When you pass a dump, you might hold your nose and say, "Oh, I can't handle the stench." A stench is a bad smell. Stench can also be used metaphorically. If it is discovered that many members of a police force have been taking money from mob bosses so that they can continue their life of crime, a new chief may be brought in to remove the stench of corruption from the office. In either sense, stench is the kind of smell that takes work to get rid of.
Vocabulary lists containing stench
The Nose Knows: Olfactory Vocabulary
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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Inside Out & Back Again
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
But he’s also puckish – sylph-like and otherworldly, seductive and repellent, as likely to swaddle Sarah in her heart’s desire as he is to toss her into the belching, farting Bog of Eternal Stench.
From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026
Stench was a word deliberately chosen, calibrated to the perceived danger of the moment, studiously oblivious to whether it would antagonize colleagues.
From Washington Post • Dec. 3, 2021
Now he has written a novel, his first, titled “The Stench of Honolulu,” available this month.
From New York Times • Jul. 15, 2013
Red Sox Trade Removes a Little of the Stench For the last week, Mark LeBrun, a die-hard fan, has been referring to the Boston baseball club as “the team who shall not be named.”
From New York Times • Aug. 25, 2012
Stench of fat kitchens, of soft bubbling alleys, of gleaming refuse.
From Erik Dorn by Hecht, Ben
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.
