stink

[ stingk ]
See synonyms for: stinkstankstinkingstinks on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),stank [stangk] /stæŋk/ or, often, stunk [stuhngk]; /stʌŋk/; stunk; stink·ing.
  1. to emit a strong offensive smell.

  2. to be offensive to honesty or propriety; to be in extremely bad repute or disfavor.

  1. Informal. to be disgustingly inferior: That book stinks.

  2. Slang. to have a large quantity of something (usually followed by of or with): They stink of money. She stinks with jewelry.

verb (used with object),stank [stangk] /stæŋk/ or, often, stunk [stuhngk]; /stʌŋk/; stunk; stink·ing.
  1. to cause to stink or be otherwise offensive (often followed by up): an amateurish performance that really stank up the stage.

noun
  1. a strong offensive smell; stench.

  2. Informal. an unpleasant fuss; scandal: There was a big stink about his accepting a bribe.

  1. stinks, (used with a singular verb)British Slang. chemistry as a course of study.

Verb Phrases
  1. stink out, to repel or drive out by means of a highly offensive smell.

Origin of stink

1
First recorded before 900; (verb) Middle English stinken, Old English stincan; (noun) Middle English, derivative of the verb; cognate with German stinken (verb); cf. stench

Other words for stink

Other words from stink

  • outstink, verb (used with object), out·stank or, often, out·stunk; out·stunk; out·stink·ing.

Words Nearby stink

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use stink in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stink

stink

/ (stɪŋk) /


noun
  1. a strong foul smell; stench

  2. slang a great deal of trouble (esp in the phrase to make or raise a stink)

  1. like stink intensely; furiously

verbstinks, stinking, stank, stunk or stunk (mainly intr)
  1. to emit a foul smell

  2. slang to be thoroughly bad or abhorrent: this town stinks

  1. informal to have a very bad reputation: his name stinks

  2. to be of poor quality

  3. (foll by of or with) slang to have or appear to have an excessive amount (of money)

  4. (tr usually foll by up) informal to cause to stink

Origin of stink

1
Old English stincan; related to Old Saxon stinkan, German stinken, Old Norse stökkva to burst; see stench

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 stink

stink

In addition to the idiom beginning with stink

  • stink to high heaven

also see:

  • big stink
  • make a stink
  • smell (stink) up

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.