dank smell
- noun
:
olor a humedad
- She knew that the sound she heard must be a sentry, and by the dank smell of the darkness that she was underground in one of the little dungeon cells.
She knew that the sound she heard must be a sentry, and by the dank smell of the darkness that she was underground in one of the little dungeon cells.
- She knew that the sound she heard must be a sentry, and by the dank smell of the darkness that she was underground in one of the little dungeon cells.
Examples
-
It was cold and had the dank smell of charred wood, but it was dry and offered shelter from the sleet and wind that had turned blustery cold.
Fiction book (2002) -
The main room was cold and had about it the dank smell of the cave.
Fiction book (1992) -
The mattresses were tattered and worn, and consumed by mildew that masked the dank smell of sex.
Fiction book (2002) -
The basement had a dank smell that made everyone uncomfortable.
-
After the rain, the old wooden shed was filled with a dank smell of mildew.
-
He stepped into the cave and was immediately struck by the dank smell of damp earth.
Synonyms
145
1.9
A strong or noticeable smell, often unpleasant like smoke
80
3.5
A very bad strong smell that makes you feel sick
8
9.9
A strong unpleasant body smell often coming from private parts
2
3.4
A bad, stale smell from damp or old things
1
3.3
A strong sharp smell that makes your eyes water
1
4.2
Air that smells stale and damp in a closed room
1
7.2
A stale, slightly moldy smell or taste in old damp things
1
7.2
A strong, very bad smell from sewage or rotten garbage
1
4.3
A strong unpleasant smell that makes people move away
A stale, musty smell from old wood or damp rooms
A strong, unpleasant smell that people dislike
A strong, nasty smell like rotten food that makes you feel sick
A very strong bad air that makes you think of rotting things or disease
Antonyms
How Unpleasant
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is compositionally adjective + noun, so if a learner knows the slang sense of 'dank' (potent/high-quality cannabis) and 'smell' (odor), the meaning 'strong cannabis odor' is directly derivable. However, 'dank' also has a common literal meaning ('damp, musty') and the cannabis sense is slang and culture-specific, so an average B1 learner who only knows the basic literal meaning would likely misinterpret or not predict the MWE's intended sense.
Etymology
Dank smell may come from damp cellars and old houses where the air stays wet. The word dank once meant 'damp and cold', and wet walls or floors make a heavy, musty scent, so dank smell means 'a musty and unpleasant odor'.