stink

American  

[stingk] / stɪŋk /

verb (used without object)

stank, stunk, stunk, stinking

1. to emit a strong offensive smell.

   Synonyms:

   reek

2. to be offensive to honesty or propriety; to be in extremely bad repute or disfavor.

3. Informal. to be disgustingly inferior.

   That book stinks.

4. Slang. to have a large quantity of something (usually followed by of orwith ).

   They stink of money. She stinks with jewelry.

---

verb (used with object)

stank, stunk, stunk, stinking

1. to cause to stink or be otherwise offensive (often followed byup ).

   an amateurish performance that really stank up the stage.

noun

1. a strong offensive smell; stench.

2. Informal. an unpleasant fuss; scandal.

   There was a big stink about his accepting a bribe.

3. (used with a singular verb) stinks, chemistry as a course of study.

verb phrase

1. stink out to repel or drive out by means of a highly offensive smell.

stink British  

/ stɪŋk /

noun

1. a strong foul smell; stench

2. slang a great deal of trouble (esp in the phrase to make or raise a stink )

3. intensely; furiously

---

verb

1. to emit a foul smell

2. slang to be thoroughly bad or abhorrent

   this town stinks

3. informal to have a very bad reputation

   his name stinks

4. to be of poor quality

5. slang to have or appear to have an excessive amount (of money)

6. informal to cause to stink

stink Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing stink

• big stink
• make a stink
• smell (stink) up

---

Other Word Forms

• outstink verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of stink

First recorded before 900; (verb) Middle English stinken, Old English stincan; (noun) Middle English, derivative of the verb; cognate with German stinken (verb); stench

Example Sentences

“You saying I stink, kid?” he said, leaning over me with fake menace.

From Literature

A fresh wave of garbage-tinged stink greets me when I use the keys Dad gave me to open the door.

From Literature

They could stink of wonder and fear and disdain all at once, and an animal never knew which they’d act on.

From Literature

Not the good, high-altitude ozone that shields us from dangerous UV light, but bad ozone, hovering right above ground level — stinking, brownish, grayish photochemical smog.

From Los Angeles Times

To others, it put a stop to nights of stinging eyes and stinking clothes - and, most importantly, it saved lives.

From BBC

Related Words

• stench