noun
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a substance applied to the body to suppress or mask the odour of perspiration or other body odours
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( as modifier ) Compare antiperspirant
a deodorant spray
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any substance for destroying or masking odours, such as liquid sprayed into the air
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of deodorant
Explanation
Deodorant is a substance that covers up the smell of sweat. You might use deodorant in the summer, applying it under your arms every morning. Deodorant is used to mask the smell of body odors or perspiration, either by keeping you from sweating or by killing the bacteria that can grow in sweaty areas of the body. Most deodorants also have a flowery or musky smell that's meant to overwhelm less pleasant smells. In the mid-1800s, a deodorant was "a substance meant to quell the odor of manure" on a farm or in a garden.
Vocabulary lists containing deodorant
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:
Why lock up deodorant when a company could use that cash to pay their employees enough to stop living paycheck-to-paycheck?
From Salon ● May 22, 2026
He said he was paid in checks but was then told he wasn’t allowed to cash them, leaving him without enough money to purchase Gatorade or deodorant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026
At 7:00 am, relatives brought packages: deodorant, toothpaste, soap and shampoo in labeled plastic bags, plus disinfectant and bleach -- provisions essential for maintaining hygiene in the latrines of tiny cells.
From Barron's ● Jan. 10, 2026
Charlotte Church has revealed she has ditched deodorant and stopped shaving, saying she "generally stinks".
From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2025
My mother will like it, because it’s something social that doesn’t involve video games and guys who believe deodorant is optional.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Its Nivea brand has been undertaking a recalibration to more evenly distribute investment across body care and deodorants, instead of focusing mostly on facial products.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
For Tracey Baubie, the president and chief executive officer of Comprehensive Research Group, which tests consumer products such as deodorants and diapers for manufacturers, part-time mothers are a key part of her team.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 5, 2024
Generally, people use deodorants on their armpits, but perhaps there is a way to get rid of the bacteria.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 23, 2024
Natural deodorants sometimes market themselves as free of other chemicals besides aluminum, including parabens and phthalates.
From National Geographic ● Sep. 6, 2023
The most frequently repeated messages will be station call signals and appeals to purchase detergents, deodorants, headache tablets, and automobile and petroleum products.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
