fishy smell

2 2.6

A strong unpleasant smell like fish

noun
/ˈfɪʃi smɛl/

: olor a pescado

Seems to me there's a fishy smell, and it's quite ripe.
a faint fishy smell

I think there is a definite fishy smell, but no fish has been found.

Autoplay Next

Examples

It has some kind of fishy smell that makes you sick.

Fiction book (1997)
I think there is a definite fishy smell, but no fish has been found.

Dr. Sam Bailey
A faint fishy smell came from the boxes.

Fiction book (1990)
And remember, no fishy smell, no fishy taste.

The Border (1982)
I sat on a chest against the taffrail, enjoying the salty breeze and the tarry, fishy smells of ships and harbor.

Fiction book (1992)
The fishy smell coming from the old refrigerator made everyone feel nauseous.
After cleaning the seafood, she noticed a lingering fishy smell in the kitchen.
As we approached the shore, the strong fishy smell indicated that there had been a recent catch.

Synonyms

odor

vsfishy smell

145 1.9

A strong or noticeable smell, often unpleasant like smoke

is that distinctive scent when it specifically reminds of marine sources

stink

vsfishy smell

111 1.1

A very bad smell that people dislike

is this unpleasant quality when it comes from a marine source

stench

vsfishy smell

80 3.5

A very bad strong smell that makes you feel sick

is like this intensity but with a specific marine quality rather than general foulness

musty smell

vsfishy smell

2 3.4

A bad, stale smell from damp or old things

differs by arising from marine notes, not from dampness or mold

pungent smell

vsfishy smell

1 3.3

A strong sharp smell that makes your eyes water

is similar but focused on an unpleasant marine character rather than sharpness

fishiness

vsfishy smell

1 4.4

A fish smell or a feeling that something is wrong

is the unpleasant strong scent that specifically shows a marine character

foulness

vsfishy smell

1 7.2

A strong, very bad smell from sewage or rotten garbage

is that foul quality when it specifically smells of marine origin

stinkiness

vsfishy smell

1 4.3

A strong unpleasant smell that makes people move away

describes that quality when its origin gives marine characteristics

rankness

vsfishy smell

1 9.0

A very strong bad smell that makes you feel sick

is similar in harshness but linked to marine notes rather than rot

fetidness

vsfishy smell

8.4

A very strong unpleasant smell that makes people feel sick

shares that offensiveness but is tied to a marine note rather than any source

malodorousness

vsfishy smell

8.9

A strong, unpleasant smell that is easy to notice

is the same state when the cause gives a marine impression

whiffy odor

vsfishy smell

Informal

7.4

A strong, unpleasant smell that people dislike

is that noticeable bad scent when it specifically evokes marine smells

yucky smell

vsfishy smell

Informal

5.6

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

is this repelling scent but with a clear marine character

pestilential smell

vsfishy smell

Literature

9.4

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

is less about decay and more about a marine source giving the foulness

dank smell

vsfishy smell

5.1

An unpleasant damp smell in places like basements or cellars

is unlike this because it evokes marine notes rather than damp mustiness

Antonyms

fragrance

83 2.6

A pleasant sweet smell from flowers or perfume

Surface Forms

fishy smell singular

fishy smells plural

Morphology

fishy + smell

The meaning 'an unpleasant odor resembling fish' is directly compositional from 'fishy' (having a fish-like smell or taste) + 'smell' (an odor), so the overall sense is predictable from the parts. This is a common, cross-linguistic descriptive pattern and would be immediately understood by a B1 learner who knows both constituent words (noting that 'fishy' can be metaphorically 'suspicious' in other contexts, but here it is literal).

Etymology

The phrase fishy smell comes from the strong, oily odor real fish give when they start to go bad. That's why people use it to describe any 'unpleasant' or 'disagreeable' smell.