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fetidness

fetidness

8.4
A very strong unpleasant smell that makes people feel sick
  • noun
  • /ˈfɛtɪd.nəs/
translation icon : fetidez
  • The fetidness of the stagnant pond drove everyone indoors.

Examples

  • This room has a terrible fetidness that needs to be addressed.

  • The fetidness was unbearable.

  • Despite the flower arrangements, the room's fetidness was impossible to ignore.

  • His boots carried the fetidness of the swamp into the house.

  • The fetidness of the garbage made it impossible to stay in the room.

  • After the heavy rains, the fetidness of the stagnant water became unbearable.

  • The fetidness from the decaying food filled the entire house.

Synonyms

odor
vsfetidness
  • US
145 1.9

A strong or noticeable smell, often unpleasant like smoke

narrows this to smells that are specifically unpleasant and offensive
stench
vsfetidness
80 3.5

A very bad strong smell that makes you feel sick

is the general notion of strong unpleasant smell without the extra intensity
niff
vsfetidness
  • UK
1 9.9

An unpleasant strong smell that comes from old or dirty things

is the neutral term for strong unpleasant smell without staleness focus
foulness
vsfetidness
1 7.2

A strong, very bad smell from sewage or rotten garbage

is the everyday word for that same strong unpleasant smell
stinkiness
vsfetidness
1 4.3

A strong unpleasant smell that makes people move away

refers to that same quality without emotional coloring
rankness
vsfetidness
1 9.0

A very strong bad smell that makes you feel sick

covers strong unpleasant smell generally without stressing intensity
fetor
vsfetidness
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A strong bad smell that often shows illness or decay

expresses the same strong smell but without medical implication
mustiness
vsfetidness
1 7.2

A stale, slightly moldy smell or taste in old damp things

covers general offensive smells rather than specifically moldy or stale ones
malodorousness
vsfetidness
8.9

A strong, unpleasant smell that is easy to notice

is the common description for the same offensive smell
pestilential smell
vsfetidness
  • Literature
9.4

A very strong bad air that makes you think of rotting things or disease

is the basic idea of strong offensiveness without disease connotation
whiffy odor
vsfetidness
  • Informal
7.4

A strong, unpleasant smell that people dislike

is the broader term for any strong offensive smelling quality
yucky smell
vsfetidness
  • Informal
5.6

A strong, nasty smell like rotten food that makes you feel sick

is the neutral descriptive term rather than a casual label
fustiness
vsfetidness
8.6

A stale, musty smell in a room or object

focuses on strong unpleasant smell regardless of staleness or age

Antonyms

15 1.0

The state of being new and clean, not stale or spoiled

4 1.0

A pleasant smell like flowers or fresh bread

How Smelly

stench
80 3.5
fetidness
8.4
odor
  • US
145 1.9
smell
605 1.0
scent
165 1.0

Surface Forms

fetidness singular
fetidnesses plural

Morphology

fetidness = fetid (transparent) = fetid + ness

Derivation is the regular nominalization of the adjective 'fetid' with '-ness', so the meaning follows predictably from the base.

Etymology

Fetidness comes from the old Latin word fetidus, meaning 'to smell bad'. Think of a swamp or rotten food, and so fetidness means the state of having a very bad smell.