stink

[stingk]

verb (used without object)

stank, stunk, stunk, stinking. 

1. to emit a strong offensive smell.

   Synonyms: reek

2. to be offensive to honesty or propriety; to be in extremely bad repute or disfavor.

3. Informal.,  to be disgustingly inferior.

   That book stinks.

4. Slang.,  to have a large quantity of something (usually followed by of orwith ).

   They stink of money. She stinks with jewelry.

verb (used with object)

stank, stunk, stunk, stinking. 

1. to cause to stink or be otherwise offensive (often followed byup ).

   an amateurish performance that really stank up the stage.

noun

1. a strong offensive smell; stench.

2. Informal.,  an unpleasant fuss; scandal.

   There was a big stink about his accepting a bribe.

3. (used with a singular verb),  stinks, chemistry as a course of study.

verb phrase

1. stink out,  to repel or drive out by means of a highly offensive smell.

stink

/ stɪŋk /

noun

1. a strong foul smell; stench

2. slang,  a great deal of trouble (esp in the phrase to make or raise a stink )

3. intensely; furiously

verb

1. to emit a foul smell

2. slang,  to be thoroughly bad or abhorrent

   this town stinks

3. informal,  to have a very bad reputation

   his name stinks

4. to be of poor quality

5. slang,  to have or appear to have an excessive amount (of money)

6. informal,  to cause to stink

Other Word Forms

• outstink verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of stink¹

First recorded before 900; (verb) Middle English stinken, Old English stincan; (noun) Middle English, derivative of the verb; cognate with German stinken (verb); stench

Word History and Origins

Origin of stink¹

Old English stincan; related to Old Saxon stinkan, German stinken, Old Norse stökkva to burst; see _stench

Idioms and Phrases

• big stink
• make a stink
• smell (stink) up

Example Sentences

This proves the old adage, “the fish stinks from the head down.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He stank of horses and left muddy boot prints on the floors that poor Svetlana had so recently scrubbed.

Read more on Literature

True, there were traces of red powder scattered on the otherwise clean-swept dirt, and the stink was more foul than fowl.

Read more on Literature

Just last month a massive stinking lump of wet wipes, fat and oil was removed from a west London sewer.

Read more on BBC

Franchises across different leagues have been willing to pinch their noses and stink on the field in exchange for the promise of better draft capital and a brighter future.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• stench