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
“He understood where he was at in the lineup, where he was at with his pitch count, and he was smelling the finish line. Guys like that have a way of turning up the dial.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 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
I sniffed the oil, too, though I did not know what I was smelling for; it was pungent and unpleasant, in a pleasant kind of way.
From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2018
I couldn’t distinguish whether I was smelling the clutching sound of misery or hearing the cloying odor of death.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
