stench
Americannoun
-
an offensive smell or odor; stink.
-
a foul quality.
noun
Synonym Usage
See odor.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of stench
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English stenc “odor (good or bad)”; akin to stink
Explanation
When you pass a dump, you might hold your nose and say, "Oh, I can't handle the stench." A stench is a bad smell. Stench can also be used metaphorically. If it is discovered that many members of a police force have been taking money from mob bosses so that they can continue their life of crime, a new chief may be brought in to remove the stench of corruption from the office. In either sense, stench is the kind of smell that takes work to get rid of.
Vocabulary lists containing stench
The Nose Knows: Olfactory Vocabulary
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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Inside Out & Back Again
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.
See Examples For:
But in the weeks since, the stench of rotting food has drifted into nearby neighborhoods.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
For the longest time, the residents of Val Verde could not find a lawyer willing to fight the landfill enveloping their neighborhood in clouds of stench.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
The outcome was a 4-1 loss so damaging that England cannot rid themselves of the stench.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
But the biggest draw might be the deathlike stench when they open—and people are willing to wait hours to catch a whiff.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
If my soul had gone out of my body, I’d have left the rolling of the ship, the stench in the closed-up ’tween deck, the rats that sometimes scuttle over my face in the night.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
People living in a County Down beauty spot have "had enough" of industrial stenches coming from Warrenpoint Port, campaigners have said.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2025
But Danovich hoped to avoid supporting hatcheries and breeding barns, with their bright lights, noxious stenches and short lifespans for residents.
From Salon ● May 10, 2023
“Surely those negatives existed in Calcutta. But amidst the fetid stenches of Indian urban decay, I mainly recall the strong aroma of exotic spices.”
From New York Times ● Sep. 17, 2022
At the heart of both stenches was the same culprit: hydrogen sulfide.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2021
“The scent of godhood lies in the burdens that hover above you. Pungent and powerful stenches they are,” he said.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
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.
