reek

American  

[reek] / rik /

noun

1. a strong, unpleasant smell.

2. vapor or steam.

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verb (used without object)

1. to smell strongly and unpleasantly.

2. to be strongly pervaded with something unpleasant or offensive.

3. to give off steam, smoke, etc.

   Synonyms:

   fume, smoke, steam

4. to be wet with sweat, blood, etc.

verb (used with object)

1. to give off; emit; exude.

2. to expose to or treat with smoke.

reek British  

/ riːk /

verb

1. (intr) to give off or emit a strong unpleasant odour; smell or stink

2. to be permeated (by); be redolent (of)

   the letter reeks of subservience

3. (tr) to treat with smoke; fumigate

4. dialect (tr) to give off or emit (smoke, fumes, vapour, etc)

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noun

1. a strong offensive smell; stink

2. dialect smoke or steam; vapour

Usage

What’s the difference between reek and wreak? Reek most commonly means to give off a strong, unpleasant odor, as in Your socks reek, dude. Wreak means to inflict or carry out something, especially something harmful—it’s most commonly used in the phrase wreak havoc, meaning to cause chaos or destruction or both. While wreak is only ever used as a verb, reek can also be used as a noun meaning a strong, unpleasant smell, though this use is much less common. Reek usually functions without an object, though in some cases it is followed by the word of and the particular smell, as in It reeks of onions in here. This is also the case when reek is used in a more figurative way meaning to be penetrated or saturated with something negative, as in This case reeks of corruption. Wreak is always used with an object, usually some negative effect, as in The storm is expected to wreak destruction throughout the region. Reek and wreak are pronounced exactly the same, so it can be hard to remember which one is which, but you can remember that wreak begins with a w because it is often used in the context of things getting wrecked. Here’s an example of reek and wreak used correctly in the same sentence. Example: I like cooking with leeks, but my wife thinks they reek and says they wreak havoc on her ability to smell anything else. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between reeking and wreaking.

Other Word Forms

• reeker noun
• reeking adjective
• reekingly adverb
• reeky adjective

Etymology

Origin of reek

before 900; (noun) Middle English rek ( e ), Old English rēc smoke; cognate with German rauch, Dutch rook, Old Norse reykr; (v.) Middle English reken to smoke, steam, Old English rēocan

Explanation

It smells absolutely rotten and offensive. Birds are falling from the sky because of the fumes. You might throw up from one whiff. Whatever it is, it reeks. Shakespeare famously wrote about the "breath that from my mistress reeks," but that's not a nice way to talk about a girlfriend. The word usually describes smells, but can also be used to suggest something fishy, as in "the suspicious transactions reeked of mob involvement." But noses everywhere agree: Whether it's coming from your sneakers or from the aftermath of a shady deal, if something reeks — it stinks to high heaven.

Example Sentences

Disproportionate death sentences may be convincing to those who make clemency decisions, and they reek of unfairness.

From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026

In the movie, Charli contends with the unfathomable triumph of “Brat” while fielding brand deal offers and label demands that reek of the capitalist desperation to extend the “Brat” era as long as possible.

From Salon • Feb. 8, 2026

So the two embarked on a survey in the university hostels asking a truly human question: if our sneakers reek, doesn't that ruin the entire experience of using a shoe rack?

From BBC • Sep. 27, 2025

There are also a lot of fires in her fiction, and scenes that reek of tombs.

From New York Times • Jan. 27, 2024

I sniff my school uniform, smelling traces of smoke saturating it, too, mingled with an an- imal smell—the reek of guinea pigs.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau