smelly

American  

[smel-ee] / ˈsmɛl i /

adjective

smellier, smelliest

1. emitting a strong or unpleasant odor; reeking.

   Synonyms:

   stinky, malodorous

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smelly British  

/ ˈsmɛlɪ /

adjective

1. having a strong or nasty smell

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Other Word Forms

• smelliness noun

Etymology

Origin of smelly

First recorded in 1860–65; smell + -y ¹

Explanation

Smelly things give off a bad odor. After her joyful swim in a swampy lake, your dog will probably be smelly. You could call smelly things stinky, putrid, or rank. Your brother's sweaty feet are smelly, and your neighbor's cabbage soup is smelly too. While things like flowers and homemade gingerbread are fragrant or aromatic, smelly things — like your neighborhood on garbage day — are just plain smelly. We know that smelly comes from smell, "odor, aroma, or stench," which followed the verb smell, "emit or perceive an odor," but the word's origin is unknown.

Example Sentences

Never having to huff your own engine exhaust is even better—you just don’t notice how smelly gas cars can be until you’ve been out of one for a while.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Trees have less dramatic ways to screw up your day: Their roots can infiltrate cracks in septic or sewage pipes, blocking the system and wreaking expensive, smelly havoc.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

Pub owner Vicky Morgans from Swansea recalled the "smelly clothes and stained ceilings" before she introduced the ban a month earlier at West Cross Inn.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2025

Many of the wells that the air district had ordered installed have not been drilled deep enough to capture smelly landfill gases, due to safety concerns.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 30, 2024

It was hot and smelly, and I couldn’t move without getting in the way of someone else.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan

Related Words

• fetid
• foul-smelling
• funky
• rancid
• stinking