smelly

smelly — adjective

1. Something that is smelly has a strong, bad odor — the kind that makes people wan

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

Something that is smelly has a strong, bad odor — the kind that makes people want to turn away, hold their nose, or leave the area because the air feels unpleasant to breathe in.

Example

Min forgot to take out the trash, and by morning the whole kitchen was smelly.

be + smelly (predicative use)

After soccer practice, Sahil put his smelly shoes on the balcony to air them out.

smelly + noun (attributive use)

Common collocations
  • smelly socks
  • smelly feet
  • smelly breath
  • smelly cheese
  • smelly trash
  • smelly gym clothes
  • smelly drain
  • go smelly
  • get smelly
  • turn smelly
Synonyms
  • stinky

    more informal and slightly playful; common with children

  • foul

    stronger, more formal; implies something very rotten or disgusting

  • musty

    specific to a stale, damp smell from lack of fresh air (e.g. old basements)

Antonyms

Usage Note

Used both before a noun (attributive: 'a smelly room') and after linking verbs such as 'be', 'become', 'get', or 'go' (predicative: 'the room got smelly'). Also common with 'smell' as a verb ('The bag smells smelly'), though many speakers prefer 'smell bad' in formal writing.

Common Mistakes

The flowers are very smelly' (intended as a compliment).
The flowers are very fragrant / sweet-smelling.
'smelly' always describes an unpleasant odor, never a pleasant one.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Smelly' is the most neutral, everyday word for a bad odor — it is direct but not very intense. 'Stinky' is more informal and slightly playful; adults use it with children or in casual talk, but it sounds odd in serious contexts. 'Foul' is stronger and more formal, suggesting something deeply rotten or disgusting (foul air, foul smell). 'Musty' is specific: it describes the stale, damp odor of old books, basements, or rooms that have been closed for a long time. 'Rank' is even stronger than foul and implies a sickening, overpowering stench. For a learner: use 'smelly' in most situations; use 'stinky' with friends or children; use 'foul' when you want to sound serious or dramatic.

smelly ↗stinkyfoul ↗musty ↗rank ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • smelly socks
  • smelly feet
  • smelly breath
  • smelly cheese
  • smelly trash
  • smelly garbage
  • smelly drain
  • smelly underarms
  • smelly room
  • smelly gym bag

Adverbs

  • extremely smelly
  • really smelly
  • quite smelly
  • a bit smelly
  • slightly smelly
  • horribly smelly

Phrases

  • go smelly
  • get smelly
  • turn smelly

Prepositions

  • smelly from
  • smelly with

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Smelly' comes from the verb 'smell' (which is probably from an Old English root related to noticing scents) plus the suffix '-y', meaning 'having the quality of'. So 'smelly' literally means 'having a smell' — though in modern use it always means a bad one. The word has been used since at least the 1800s.