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smell
[ smel ]
verb (used with object)
- to perceive the odor or scent of through the nose by means of the olfactory nerves; inhale the odor of:
I smell something burning.
- to test by the sense of smell:
She smelled the meat to see if it was fresh.
- to perceive, detect, or discover by shrewdness or sagacity:
The detective smelled foul play.
verb (used without object)
- to perceive something by its odor or scent.
- to search or investigate (followed by around or about ).
- to give off or have an odor or scent:
Do the yellow roses smell?
- to give out an offensive odor; stink.
- to have a particular odor (followed by of ):
My hands smell of fish.
- to have a trace or suggestion (followed by of ).
- Informal. to be of inferior quality; stink:
The play is good, but the direction smells.
- Informal. to have the appearance or a suggestion of guilt or corruption:
They may be honest, but the whole situation smells.
noun
- the sense of smell; faculty of smelling.
- the quality of a thing that is or may be smelled; odor; scent.
- a trace or suggestion.
- an act or instance of smelling.
- a pervading appearance, character, quality, or influence:
the smell of money.
verb phrase
- to look for or detect as if by smelling; search out:
to smell out enemy spies.
- to fill with an offensive odor; stink up:
The garbage smelled up the yard.
smell
/ smɛl /
verb
- tr to perceive the scent or odour of (a substance) by means of the olfactory nerves
- copula to have a specified smell; appear to the sense of smell to be
some tobacco smells very sweet
the beaches smell of seaweed
- introften foll byof to emit an odour (of)
the park smells of flowers
- intr to emit an unpleasant odour; stink
- troften foll byout to detect through shrewdness or instinct
- intr to have or use the sense of smell; sniff
- intrfoll byof to give indications (of)
he smells of money
- intr; foll by around, about, etc to search, investigate, or pry
- copula to be or seem to be untrustworthy or corrupt
- smell a ratto detect something suspicious
noun
- that sense (olfaction) by which scents or odours are perceived olfactory
- anything detected by the sense of smell; odour; scent
- a trace or indication
- the act or an instance of smelling
Derived Forms
- ˈsmeller, noun
Other Words From
- smella·ble adjective
- smell-less adjective
- outsmell verb (used with object) outsmelled or outsmelt outsmelling
- un·smelled adjective
- un·smelling adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of smell1
Word History and Origins
Origin of smell1
Idioms and Phrases
- smell a rat. rat ( def 6 ).
More idioms and phrases containing smell
- come up (smelling like) roses
- stink (smell) to high heaven
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
The smell inside the car could alert customs officers on the other side of the border that the fuel tank has been tampered with.
After they pulled over the driver, the deputies allegedly noticed the smell of alcohol coming from inside and spotted four women, three of whom were holding babies in their arms instead of using car seats.
Ecology experts have pointed out that animals do have reactionary mechanisms that mean the noise and smell of the crash will have alerted them to dangers and they could have already vacated the area.
"It's already started to smell, long before today, it's a risk to health and we are very worried that the industrial action is now indefinite."
The cold air smelled of ash and dirt, and the mountains beyond stood hard in slants of sunlight.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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