smell
verb (used with object)
to perceive the odor or scent of through the nose by means of the olfactory nerves; inhale the odor of.
was smelling
-
past progressiveof smell.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Kirstie said she first thought her "sweat was smelling rotten".
From BBC ● May 11, 2023
Mohammed Al-Kuwari, a 28-year-old Qatari engineer, said the strangest thing was smelling beer at the fan zones.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 13, 2022
Each time his nostrils flared, I tensed, even though I told myself it was someone eating pizza and not wildfire he was smelling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2021
"He was smelling the finish line. Guys like that have a way of kind of turning it up a dial and he did that tonight."
From Fox News ● Aug. 15, 2021
Neither of us was smelling too good: I’d gone twenty-four hours without access to deodorant, and Otto was giving off odors of spilled milk and passed gas.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
