skunky

[skuhng-kee]

adjective

skunkier, skunkiest 

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a skunk.

   a skunky odor.

2. having a disagreeable or tainted character.

   beer with a skunky taste.

3. Informal.,  mean and nasty; contemptible.

Other Word Forms

• skunkiness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of skunky¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; skunk + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Oh, and as the name would suggest, it can smell skunky, although I personally couldn’t detect much odor when I got on my knees and inhaled.

Read more on Salon

Running along the trails that whipsaw through the oak forests of the Palo Alto hills , I was hit with a musky, skunky smell that made the hair on my neck stand up.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Cannabis is often bred for aroma, commonly skunky.

Read more on National Geographic

Some are so skunky, staff at the local post office told Vanbianchi she could pick up her next delivery behind the building.

Read more on Seattle Times

Outside the buildings, skunky VOC-laden exhaust can be a nuisance and perhaps unhealthful, especially for marginalized communities.

Read more on Slate