rancid
Americanadjective
-
having a rank, unpleasant, stale smell or taste, as through decomposition, especially of fats or oils.
rancid butter.
-
(of an odor or taste) rank, unpleasant, and stale.
a rancid smell.
-
offensive or nasty; disagreeable.
adjective
-
(of butter, bacon, etc) having an unpleasant stale taste or smell as the result of decomposition
-
(of a taste or smell) rank or sour; stale
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rancid
1640–50; < Latin rancidus rank, stinking, equivalent to ranc ( ēre ) to be rotten + -idus -id 4
Explanation
Rancid means sour, rotten, and nasty and refers most specifically to the sharp bad smell of decomposing oils or fats. "Rancid" is a great name for a post-punk band, but a lousy way to describe the sauce on your eggs Benedict. If you've never had the pleasure of smelling something rancid, life has quite a wallop in store for you. As meat, fat, or oil decomposes the chemical change creates a sharp wretched stink that will cause you to recoil. It's just foul. The powerful horrendous fragrance of rancid butter, therefore, makes the word wonderfully potent to describe all sorts of things — from a corrupt dictatorship to a party that's gone on a few hours too long.
Vocabulary lists containing rancid
The Cay
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Oh, No! Synonyms for "Bad"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Front Desk
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.
As Nolso opens the door, a rancid odour escaped.
From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026
To put it directly, the smell of rancid meat is created by way of countless tiny bacterial farts.
From Salon • May 27, 2025
"It's an absolutely rancid, horrible smell, and it just burns your throat," says Pauline Claridge who has lived in this part of Rainham for 15 years.
From BBC • Mar. 14, 2025
A pungent, fishy rancid odor has been wafting through the coastal air in Los Angeles this week, an unfortunate consequence of beautiful bioluminescent algae that has graced local beaches for a fortnight.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 30, 2024
Opal wrinkled her nose as if I smelled rancid.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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.
