smell
verb (used with object)
to perceive the odor or scent of through the nose by means of the olfactory nerves; inhale the odor of.
have smelled
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present perfectof smell.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
Buying perfume online can be a gamble: Unless shoppers have smelled the fragrance in real life, they have to buy it without testing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
Because this was made of meat, it would have smelled bad as it decayed – it shrank and became really gross, but the photos looked great.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 26, 2019
Viewers might have smelled an azalea-scented blanket of CBS’ analysts trying to out-gush each other, overworking the cliché meter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2019
At one point, bitterly reflecting that it hardly matters that the public schools can’t open on time, Un/Sung says, “On the first day, our cafeteria would still have smelled like a decaying future.”
From New York Times ● Sep. 20, 2017
Our eyes were sunk into our heads, our ears stuck out like donkey ears, and we must have smelled wretched, though of course we’d all been long accustomed to our stench.
From "Prisoner B-3087" by Alan Gratz
