smell

[smel]

verb (used with object)

smelled, smelt, smelling. 

1. to perceive the odor or scent of through the nose by means of the olfactory nerves; inhale the odor of.

   I smell something burning.

2. to test by the sense of smell.

   She smelled the meat to see if it was fresh.

3. to perceive, detect, or discover by shrewdness or sagacity.

   The detective smelled foul play.

verb (used without object)

smelled, smelt, smelling. 

1. to perceive something by its odor or scent.

2. to search or investigate (followed by around orabout ).

3. to give off or have an odor or scent.

   Do the yellow roses smell?

4. to give out an offensive odor; stink.

5. to have a particular odor (followed byof ).

   My hands smell of fish.

6. to have a trace or suggestion (followed byof ).

7. Informal.,  to be of inferior quality; stink.

   The play is good, but the direction smells.

8. Informal.,  to have the appearance or a suggestion of guilt or corruption.

   They may be honest, but the whole situation smells.

noun

1. the sense of smell; faculty of smelling.

2. the quality of a thing that is or may be smelled; odor; scent.

3. a trace or suggestion.

4. an act or instance of smelling.

5. a pervading appearance, character, quality, or influence.

   the smell of money.

verb phrase

1. smell out,  to look for or detect as if by smelling; search out.

   to smell out enemy spies.

2. smell up,  to fill with an offensive odor; stink up.

   The garbage smelled up the yard.

smell

/ smɛl /

verb

1. (tr) to perceive the scent or odour of (a substance) by means of the olfactory nerves

2. (copula) to have a specified smell; appear to the sense of smell to be

   the beaches smell of seaweed

   some tobacco smells very sweet

3. to emit an odour (of)

   the park smells of flowers

4. (intr) to emit an unpleasant odour; stink

5. to detect through shrewdness or instinct

6. (intr) to have or use the sense of smell; sniff

7. to give indications (of)

   he smells of money

8. (intr; foll by around, about, etc) to search, investigate, or pry

9. (copula) to be or seem to be untrustworthy or corrupt

10. to detect something suspicious

noun

1. that sense (olfaction) by which scents or odours are perceived

2. anything detected by the sense of smell; odour; scent

3. a trace or indication

4. the act or an instance of smelling

Other Word Forms

• smellable adjective
• smell-less adjective
• outsmell verb (used with object)
• unsmelled adjective
• unsmelling adjective
• smeller noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of smell¹

First recorded in 1125–75; early Middle English smell, smull (noun), smellen, smullen (verb); origin uncertain.

Word History and Origins

Origin of smell¹

C12: of uncertain origin; compare Middle Dutch smölen to scorch

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. smell a rat. rat.

More idioms and phrases containing smell

• come up (smelling like) roses
• stink (smell) to high heaven

Synonym Study

See odor.

Example Sentences

The air was thick with pungent smells and with steam rising up from the herd.

Read more on Literature

Having visited several years ago, I was struck by the smell of urine from the gutters that line the cell blocks.

Read more on BBC

Private equity smells blood: Milestone Group, for example, just closed a $1.1 billion fund targeting distressed properties.

Read more on MarketWatch

She remembers her childhood during the second intifada, or uprising, when she couldn’t attend birthday parties because of Israeli checkpoint closures, and driving through mountain passes permeated by the smell of tear gas.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

We’d smell like grease all the way up until we washed our clothes.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• aroma 
• bouquet 
• flavor 
• perfume 
• scent 
• stench 
• stink 
• trace 
• whiff