stinky
Americanadjective
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having a foul smell
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informal unpleasant or disgusting
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informal of poor quality; contemptible
Etymology
Origin of stinky
Explanation
Stinky things smell bad. If your gym uniform is particularly stinky after a game of volleyball, you should probably wash it. You might describe the gorgonzola cheese your sister loves as stinky. She, on the other hand, may object to your favorite perfume, describing it as stinky. Besides bad odors, the informal adjective stinky can also describe generally bad or rotten things: "You did a stinky job of cleaning the kitchen after you baked all that bread. There's flour everywhere!"
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.
Desmodesmus is “not a dangerous thing,” he says, although in such large amounts, “it can be unsightly for sure,” as well as stinky.
From Slate • Jun. 27, 2026
Alice spends her days cleaning Lady Jemima’s stinky shoes, sponging her underwear and greasing her long blonde hair.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
"I know how much he loves me, that he's willing to go through a rotten, stinky compost pile," she told CTV with a laugh.
From BBC • Aug. 25, 2025
“What perplexes me is that despite the plant being known for its stinky smell, it also produces several sweet-smelling chemicals.”
From Salon • May 27, 2025
I cursed her under my breath as I carried the heavy liters of soda home, and even though she couldn't keep any food down, I ate a stinky omelet in her presence.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
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.
