scent

scent — noun

1. a smell, especially one that is pleasant and comes naturally from something in t

1.nounB1
Definition

a smell, especially one that is pleasant and comes naturally from something in the environment, such as a flower, a plant, food, or the air around you.

Example

The scent of fresh bread drew Wei into the little bakery on Green Street.

collocation: scent of [something]

A light floral scent filled the bedroom when Tamar opened the window.

adjective + scent: light floral scent

Common collocations
  • sweet scent
  • floral scent
  • fresh scent
  • scent of flowers
  • scent of rain
  • scent of freshly cut grass
Synonyms
  • fragrance

    more formal and literary; often used in advertising and product descriptions

  • aroma

    used mainly for food and drink; implies a rich, appetising smell

  • odour

    neutral or scientific; can describe pleasant or unpleasant smells

Antonyms
  • stench

    a very strong, unpleasant smell

  • stink

    informal, a very bad smell

Grammar Patterns

scent of [something]

Common Mistakes

The scent of this room is bad.
The smell of this room is bad.
'scent' usually refers to a pleasant smell, while 'smell' is neutral and can describe both good and bad odours.

2. an odour that lingers on the ground or in the air after a living thing moves thr

2.nounB1
Definition

an odour that lingers on the ground or in the air after a living thing moves through a place, which hounds and other tracking animals can detect and follow back to its origin.

Example

The police dogs picked up the man's scent and followed it through the park.

phrasal pattern: pick up the scent

A strong deer scent led the hunters deeper into the forest that morning.

Common collocations
  • pick up the scent
  • follow the scent
  • lose the scent
  • catch the scent
  • strong scent
  • fresh scent
  • scent of prey
Synonyms
  • trail

    refers to the path or route, not the smell itself

  • spoor

    formal hunting term for the tracks or droppings left by an animal

Grammar Patterns

follow the scent

pick up the scent

lose the scent

Usage Note

Often used with verbs like 'pick up', 'follow', 'catch', or 'lose'. This sense is almost always used in the context of tracking by animals, especially hunting or police work.

3. a sweet-smelling product that you spray or rub onto your body or clothing to giv

3.nounB1
Definition

a sweet-smelling product that you spray or rub onto your body or clothing to give yourself a pleasing fragrance.

Example

Before the party, Aaron put on his favourite scent and checked his hair.

collocation: favourite scent

Rania received a bottle of expensive scent for her birthday last month.

Common collocations
  • wear a scent
  • put on scent
  • apply scent
  • expensive scent
  • new scent
  • favourite scent
  • bottle of scent
Synonyms
  • perfume

    more formal and often implies a higher-end product

  • fragrance

    common in marketing; sounds more elegant than 'scent'

  • cologne

    traditionally for men; lighter than perfume

Grammar Patterns

wear a scent

put on scent

Usage Note

'Perfume' and 'fragrance' are more common in advertising and product labelling; 'scent' is more neutral and used in everyday speech. In British English 'scent' is a common word for what Americans often call 'perfume' or 'cologne'.

Common Mistakes

I wear a strong scent.
I wear a strong perfume / fragrance.
'scent' as perfume is neutral; using 'strong' with 'scent' can cause confusion with the tracking-smell sense.

4. an inner sense that a particular thing exists, is real, or will happen soon, oft

4.nounB2
Definition

an inner sense that a particular thing exists, is real, or will happen soon, often noticed before anything obvious confirms it.

Example

A scent of trouble hung in the air as the two leaders argued loudly.

collocation: scent of [abstract]

There was a scent of victory when their team scored the first goal.

Common collocations
  • scent of victory
  • scent of danger
  • scent of trouble
  • scent of change
  • scent of success
  • catch a scent of
Synonyms
  • hint

    less vivid; a small piece of evidence

  • sign

    more concrete and visible

  • trace

    a very small amount of evidence

Grammar Patterns

scent of [abstract noun]

Usage Note

Almost always singular. Commonly appears in the phrase 'a/the scent of [abstract noun]' such as 'scent of victory', 'scent of danger', 'scent of change'. This is a figurative extension of the literal tracking sense.

Idioms

on the scent (of something)

idiom

Being close to finding or discovering something.

The detective was on the scent of the missing jewels.

Are we on the scent of a major scientific breakthrough?

put/throw somebody off the scent

idiom

To do something that prevents someone from finding you or discovering the truth.

The spy left a fake note to throw the agents off the scent.

Maya changed her phone number to put her stalker off the scent.

scent — verb

Word family

  • scented
    adjectiveB1
  • unscented
    adjectiveB2
  • scentless
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe a detectable smell, but they differ in connotation and typical use. 'Scent' is the most neutral and versatile of the pleasant-smell group — it works for flowers, food, rain, or the air. 'Fragrance' sounds more refined and is the preferred term in cosmetics marketing ('fragrance-free lotion'); it is less natural in everyday conversation. 'Aroma' is almost exclusively used for food and drink ('the aroma of freshly brewed coffee') and carries a rich, appetising quality. 'Odour' is the most neutral and technical — it can describe any smell, pleasant or unpleasant ('the odour of gas'), and is common in scientific or formal writing. For everyday talk about something that smells good, 'scent' is the safest choice. For example: 'The scent of the roses filled the garden' sounds natural, while 'the fragrance of the roses' sounds like a label; 'the aroma of the roses' would be unusual.

fragrance ↗aroma ↗odour ↗scent ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'scent' entered English through Old French 'sentir', meaning 'to feel, smell, or perceive', which came from Latin 'sentire' (to feel or perceive). The spelling with 'sc' appeared in the 1500s, influenced by the Latin word 'scire' (to know), possibly because knowing or recognising something by smell was seen as a kind of knowledge. The noun meaning 'a pleasant smell' developed naturally from the verb. The figurative sense (scent of victory) emerged later, extending the idea of physically tracking prey to the mental tracking of events.