smell

Study(32)

/smɛl/

verb 5noun 3

Collocations

(noun.)

ADJ

overpowering, pervasive, pungent, rich, sharp, strong

The pungent smell of garlic filled the entire kitchen within minutes.

faint | distinct | distinctive, particular, unmistakable

funny, peculiar, strange, unusual

There was a strange smell coming from the kitchen, so I opened all the windows.

familiar | lingering

aromatic, delectable, delicious, fragrant, fresh, lovely, nice, savoury, sweet, wonderful

The fresh smell of baking bread filled the whole kitchen this morning.

warm | appalling, awful, bad, evil, horrible, nasty, offensive, terrible, unpleasant, vile

acrid, nauseating, putrid, rank, sickly

The old refrigerator gave off a putrid smell that made everyone leave the kitchen immediately.

damp, dank, musty, rancid, sour, stale

The basement had a damp smell that made everyone want to open the windows.

earthy, fishy, masculine, metallic, musky, oily, smoky, spicy

cooking

The delicious cooking smell made me hungry as soon as I walked through the door.

VERB + SMELL

be filled with, have

The kitchen was filled with the wonderful smell of fresh bread baking.

give off

The old refrigerator gives off a terrible smell that fills the entire kitchen.

catch, detect

We caught the smell of smoke coming from the kitchen and rushed to check the oven.

SMELL + VERB

come, emanate, drift, float, waft

The aroma of coffee drifted from the kitchen into the living room this morning.

fill sth, hang

hit sb

When we opened the old refrigerator, a terrible smell hit me immediately.

PREP

~ from

The sweet smell from the bakery made me hungry as I walked past the shop.

~ of

The room had a strong smell of coffee when we walked in this morning.

(verb.) notice/identify sth by using your nose

ADV

properly, well

My dog doesn't smell well anymore because she's getting older.

almost

After the rain stopped, I could almost smell the fresh earth through my closed window.

VERB + SMELL

can/could

(verb.) have a particular smell

ADV

strongly

The perfume from her flowers smelled strongly in the entire room.

faintly, slightly, vaguely

The old perfume bottle on the shelf smelled faintly of roses.

deliciously, pleasantly, sweetly

PREP

The old basement smells like mold and dampness after years of neglect.

The old bookstore had that wonderful smell of aged paper and leather bindings.

Definitions

noun

A sensation, pleasant or unpleasant, detected by inhaling air (or, the case of water-breathing animals, water) carrying airborne molecules of a substance.

I love the smell of fresh bread.

The penetrating smell of cabbage reached the nose of Toad as he lay prostrate in his misery on the floor, and gave him the idea for a moment that perhaps life was not such a blank and desperate thing as he had imagined. But still he wailed, and kicked with his legs, and refused to be comforted. So the wise girl retired for the time, but, of course, a good deal of the smell of hot cabbage remained behind, as it will do, and Toad, between his sobs, sniffed and reflected, and gradually began to think new and inspiring thoughts: of chivalry, and poetry[…]

The sense that detects odours.

A conclusion or intuition that a situation is wrong, more complex than it seems, or otherwise inappropriate.

I’m just saying, this has a bad smell to it.

verb

To sense a smell or smells.

I can smell fresh bread.

Smell the milk and tell me whether it's gone off.

To sense a smell or smells.

I smell a device.

Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad.

The roses smell lovely.

Her feet smell of cheese.

Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad.

I do smell all horse-piss

Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad.

Ew, this restroom smells (loathsomely).

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — the act of perceiving the odor of something

smelling

noun — any property detected by the olfactory system

aroma
odor
odour
scent

noun — the faculty that enables us to distinguish scents

olfaction

noun — the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the n

odor
odour

noun — the general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effec

verb — become aware of not through the senses but instinctively

sense

verb — have an element suggestive (of something)

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

stop and smell the roses

To relax; to take time out of one's busy schedule to enjoy or appreciate the beauty of life.

smell a rat

To sense something suspicious.

Oh, Are you thereabouts, Sir; then I ſmell a Rat Ifaith; but I'll ſay nothing.

wake up and smell the coffee

Often in the infinitive or imperative: to face reality and stop deluding oneself.

Your paper gains "notice" as an example of the use of English as it should not be written nor spoken. Wake up and smell the coffee.

smell the barn

To act with renewed energy or speed or to experience heightened anticipation as one approaches a destination, goal, or other desired outcome.

We’ll get home right quick—old Dobbin knows the way better than you and I do, and he can smell the barn besides.

smell of an oily rag

A very small amount, or the absolute minimum (usually of money).

We have found them in the remote corners of Asia Minor, sans souliers, sans culottes, often in rags, living on the smell of an oily rag or a raw onion, trying their best to preserv

Example Bank

I love the smell of fresh bread.

Wiktionary

The penetrating smell of cabbage reached the nose of Toad as he lay prostrate in his misery on the floor, and gave him the idea for a moment that perhaps life was not such a blank and desperate thing

Wiktionary

I’m just saying, this has a bad smell to it.

Wiktionary

I can smell fresh bread.

Wiktionary

Smell the milk and tell me whether it's gone off.

Wiktionary

I smell a device.

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

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