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foul

foul

54 3.0
Having a very bad smell or taste
  • adjective
  • /faʊl/
: apestoso
  • The trash bin emitted a foul odor that made everyone wrinkle their noses.
  • a foul odor
  • foul air

And Tagomi says take foul stinking cigarette along.

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Examples

  • I thought I smelled something foul.

  • The foul smell is only an ugly gatekeeper in front of the palace of wonders.

  • I feel your foul breath on my neck!

  • The air is foul with decay.

  • What is that foul stench?

  • That is honestly the foulest thing you will ever smell.

  • And he had woken with a foul smell in his nose.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • It was like a baby smell, but foul, like sour milk.

  • Gray particles still floated in the air, and there was a foul, acrid smell.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Worse yet, the breeze brought the foul scent of a troll-bear's lair, faint but growing stronger.

    Fiction book (2001)

Synonyms

disgusting
vsfoul
538 1.3

Causing a strong feeling of dislike or making you feel sick

is focused on offensive smell or taste rather than general revulsion
gross
vsfoul
  • Informal
333 2.3

Very unpleasant and making you feel sick or disgusted

is specific to offensive smell or taste rather than general dirtiness
nasty
vsfoul
146 1.0

Very dirty and covered with things that smell bad

is about offensive smell or taste rather than dirtiness or smearing
vile
vsfoul
131 5.0

Very bad and morally wrong

is about offensive smell or taste rather than moral wickedness
smelly
vsfoul
93 1.0

Giving off a strong, unpleasant stink

is stronger and more offensive than this milder odor term
stinky
vsfoul
57 1.0

Having a very bad smell

is the broader descriptor for offensive smell or taste
stinking
vsfoul
40 2.0

Having a very strong bad smell

is broader, applying to both offensive smell and taste
revolting
vsfoul
31 4.9

Very unpleasant and likely to make you feel disgusted

is focused on smell or taste being offensive rather than general aversion
yucky
vsfoul
  • Informal
21 6.8

Not pleasant to taste or smell

is stronger, meaning very unpleasant or offensive to the senses
skanky
vsfoul
  • Offensive
20 9.7

Very dirty, smelly and unpleasant to touch or be near

is specifically sensory offensiveness to smell or taste rather than dirtiness
pungent
vsfoul
19 4.8

Having a strong, sharp smell or taste that can be unpleasant

is broader, naming offensive smell or taste not only sharp intensity
loathsome
vsfoul
19 7.7

Causing strong disgust or hatred in people

is specifically about offensive smell or taste rather than moral hatred
funky
vsfoul
  • Informal
15 6.9

Has a bad smell

is the more general label for offensive smell or taste
rank
vsfoul
11 6.7

Having a very strong unpleasant smell or taste

is the general sensory label for offensive smell or taste
repellent
vsfoul
10 6.1

Causing strong dislike or disgust

is focused on smell or taste offence rather than general repellence
foul-smelling
vsfoul
9 4.1

A very strong stink that makes you want to move away

is broader, applying to both offensive smell and taste
acrid
vsfoul
9 6.7

A strong, unpleasant sharp taste or smell

is broader, covering offensive smell or taste beyond sharp bitterness
fetid
vsfoul
8 7.9

A very strong, bad smell like rotten food or trash

is the broader term for offensive smell or taste
offensive
vsfoul
3 5.3

Having a bad smell or taste that bothers you

is specific to very unpleasant smell or taste rather than general offense
noisome
vsfoul
3 9.9

A very strong, unpleasant smell that can make you ill

is mainly about offensive smell or taste, not health risk
2 3.8

Having a bad smell that people do not like

is the general description for both offensive smell and taste
unsavory
vsfoul
  • US
2 6.5

Something that smells or tastes bad

is stronger, describing very unpleasant or offensive sensory experience
rank-smelling
vsfoul
1 7.1

Having a very strong, unpleasant smell like rotten food

is broader, applying to offensive smell or taste generally
distasteful
vsfoul
1 4.8

Having an unpleasant taste or smell

is stronger, meaning very unpleasant or offensive rather than mildly displeasing
odiferous
vsfoul
1 8.5

Having a strong smell that is often unpleasant

is about offensive smell or taste rather than merely distinctive odor
ill-smelling
vsfoul
1 4.4

That has a strong, unpleasant odor

is the broader term covering both offensive smell and taste
repellant
vsfoul
1 6.4

Causing strong dislike or disgust

is specifically about offensive smell or taste rather than general aversion
repelling
vsfoul
1 6.9

Making people feel strong dislike or disgust

is more about offensive smell or taste than general offensiveness
reechy
vsfoul
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Having a strong bad smell that makes you move away

is the general term for offensive smell or taste
disgustful
vsfoul
1 6.7

Causing a strong feeling of dislike or making people feel sick

is used for offensive smell or taste rather than general emotional revulsion
loathly
vsfoul
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Very unpleasant and likely to make people feel disgusted

is about offensive smell or taste rather than general moral disgust
ill-scented
vsfoul
6.3

Having a strong, unpleasant smell

is the broader term covering both offensive smell and taste

Antonyms

323 1.0

Giving a gentle feeling of enjoyment

241 1.0

Clean air or water that has no harmful things

Idioms

no harm, no foul
  • Informal
9 8.4

Nothing bad happened, so it is okay

Compounds

57 5.3

An illegal, violent, or dishonest action that suggests a crime

15 7.7

A person who often says rude words

13 2.8

A ball in baseball hit outside the marked lines that is not in play

A very strong stink that makes you want to move away

7 4.3

A penalty called for bad behaviour during play that gives the other team a free throw

7 3.0

A line on the basketball court where players stand to shoot free throws

personal foul
  • Specialized
6 3.8

A rule break in sport when a player makes illegal rough contact with an opponent

foul-up
  • Informal
5 7.7

A serious, embarrassing mistake often caused by confusion or poor planning

party foul
  • Slang
2 8.2

A rude or embarrassing action at a social gathering that causes trouble

Clothing that keeps you dry and warm in rain or storms

1 3.2

Lines that mark the side edges of a baseball field past first and third base

foul shot
  • Specialized
1 2.6

A free throw in basketball taken from the line when an opponent breaks the rules

foul-spoken
  • Offensive
1 8.4

Using rude words that insult other people

1 3.8

A line on a bowling lane that a player must not cross when they throw

How Offensive

putrid
13 7.0
rotten
191 1.0
foul
54 3.0
offensive
3 5.3
unpleasant
183 1.0

Surface Forms

foul positive
fouler comparative
foulest superlative

Etymology

Foul meaning a very unpleasant smell comes from old English fūl 'rotten', so a foul stench is one that is 'rotten' and offensive to the senses.