stench
Americannoun
-
an offensive smell or odor; stink.
-
a foul quality.
noun
Related Words
See odor.
Other Word Forms
- stenchful adjective
Etymology
Origin of stench
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English stenc “odor (good or bad)”; akin to stink
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.
The shark smelled so bad now that she wanted to vomit, but she dumped the seaweed onto the steaming vents and ran back to hide, out of the stench and out of sight.
From Literature
Or will the stench of vomit eventually take over the house?
From Literature
The sharp stench of ozone filled the backyard.
From Literature
Residents began to complain of an “unbearable” stench that they said caused headaches, nausea, and eye, ear and nose irritation.
From Los Angeles Times
When it was ready, they’d pick a time to let loose with it, creating a stench so great it would scare the stripes off a skunk.
From Literature
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.
