smell
to perceive the odor or scent of through the nose by means of the olfactory nerves; inhale the odor of: I smell something burning.
to test by the sense of smell: She smelled the meat to see if it was fresh.
to perceive, detect, or discover by shrewdness or sagacity: The detective smelled foul play.
to perceive something by its odor or scent.
to search or investigate (followed by around or about).
to give off or have an odor or scent: Do the yellow roses smell?
to give out an offensive odor; stink.
to have a particular odor (followed by of): My hands smell of fish.
to have a trace or suggestion (followed by of).
Informal. to be of inferior quality; stink: The play is good, but the direction smells.
Informal. to have the appearance or a suggestion of guilt or corruption: They may be honest, but the whole situation smells.
the sense of smell; faculty of smelling.
the quality of a thing that is or may be smelled; odor; scent.
a trace or suggestion.
an act or instance of smelling.
a pervading appearance, character, quality, or influence: the smell of money.
smell out, to look for or detect as if by smelling; search out: to smell out enemy spies.
smell up, to fill with an offensive odor; stink up: The garbage smelled up the yard.
Idioms about smell
smell a rat. rat (def. 6).
Origin of smell
1synonym study For smell
Other words from smell
- smell·a·ble, adjective
- smell-less, adjective
- outsmell, verb (used with object), out·smelled or out·smelt, out·smel·ling.
- un·smelled, adjective
- un·smell·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use smell in a sentence
When he slurred and smelled of alcohol, they ordered him out of the car for sobriety tests.
The U.S. Veteran and Wisconsin Boy Who Went to Fight ISIS in Syria | Jacob Siegel | October 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHis tuxedo was an inch too short and smelled of fried chips.
Let Us Now Praise Famous Rednecks and Their Unjustly Unsung Kin | Allison Glock | August 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIt had rained while we were inside and the air in the alley smelled almost fresh.
Stanley Booth on the Life and Hard Times of Blues Genius Furry Lewis | Stanley Booth | June 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIt certainly smelled like something other than natural good vibes was fueling the impromptu dancing in the aisles.
Bob Weir on Drugged-Out Deadheads and Living in Jerry Garcia’s Shadow | Emily Shire | April 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWithin hours of the images going up, a city newspaper smelled a story.
The Most Wanted Warhol: A Scandal at the 1964 World’s Fair | Jessica Dawson | April 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
He did not know what the scent was, but it smelled rich and artificial, and he disliked to associate it with his new friend.
Rosemary in Search of a Father | C. N. WilliamsonHe would have smelled those fellows out before we were within forty rods of them.
The Courier of the Ozarks | Byron A. DunnBruno smelled Jack, gave a short yelp and, lifting one of his paws, offered it to him.
The Courier of the Ozarks | Byron A. DunnThe moment he smelled the moist earth of the river bank, he literally ran into the water and lay there.
Kari the Elephant | Dhan Gopal MukerjiHe reached into the plastic container and drew forth a handful of brownish objects that smelled to Kieran like dried fruit.
The Stars, My Brothers | Edmond Hamilton
British Dictionary definitions for smell
/ (smɛl) /
(tr) to perceive the scent or odour of (a substance) by means of the olfactory nerves
(copula) to have a specified smell; appear to the sense of smell to be: the beaches smell of seaweed; some tobacco smells very sweet
(intr often foll by of) to emit an odour (of): the park smells of flowers
(intr) to emit an unpleasant odour; stink
(tr often foll by out) to detect through shrewdness or instinct
(intr) to have or use the sense of smell; sniff
(intr foll by of) to give indications (of): he smells of money
(intr; foll by around, about, etc) to search, investigate, or pry
(copula) to be or seem to be untrustworthy or corrupt
smell a rat to detect something suspicious
that sense (olfaction) by which scents or odours are perceived: Related adjective: olfactory
anything detected by the sense of smell; odour; scent
a trace or indication
the act or an instance of smelling
Origin of smell
1Derived forms of smell
- smeller, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with smell
In addition to the idioms beginning with smell
- smell a rat
- smell fishy
- smell to high heaven
- smell up
also see:
- come up (smelling like) roses
- stink (smell) to high heaven
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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