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Glite Dictionary
fumes

fumes

4.1
Harmful gases that smell bad and come from engines or machines
  • noun
  • /fjuːmz/
translation icon : humos
  • The workers wore masks to protect themselves from the harmful fumes released by the machinery.

We would breathe a lot of incredibly toxic fumes and get incredibly sick.

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Examples

  • We would breathe a lot of incredibly toxic fumes and get incredibly sick.

    Kyle Hill

  • NO ONE GOES IN UNTIL THE FUMES CLEAR OUT.

    Dadnapped (2009)

  • And I could kind of feel the fumes in my eyes, which is not great.

  • I'm actually in this tank right now, the fumes are killing me.

    Team Coco

  • I'm going to wash this first for sure because the fumes are flying off of that.

    Tati

  • Industrial fumes were coming all through Monterey.

  • If you ignite that, those fumes will ignite.

  • Breathing kerosene fumes and other smoke in indoor places is awful, including the particular method emissions.

  • THE FUMES WILL HELP CLEAR MY HEAD.

    The Kiss (2008)

  • I'M KIND OF DIZZY FROM THE FUMES.

    Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)

Synonyms

emission
vsfumes
198 4.6

A substance like gas or smoke that is released into the air

is narrower, meaning harmful waste gases or vapors from machines
fume
vsfumes
111 5.2

A cloud of smoke or gas with a strong often harmful smell

is used for waste vapors often produced by engines or machines
to smoke
vsfumes
102 1.5

To send out a cloud of tiny particles and gas from burning

refers to invisible or gaseous waste rather than visible particles from burning
exhaust
vsfumes
28 3.8

The waste gases that come out of a car engine

is less tied to combustion, covering any harmful waste vapors
exhaust fumes
vsfumes
3 3.2

Smoke and gases that a car engine releases into the air

is broader, applying to waste vapors from engines, machines, or other sources
effluvium
vsfumes
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A bad smell of gases from decaying or chemical waste

focuses on waste from engines and machines rather than just a foul smell

Antonyms

fresh air
143 1.0

Clean outdoor air that feels refreshing and healthy

purity
25 3.1

The state of having no dirt or other things mixed in

Idioms

to run on fumes
  • Informal
8 7.5

To keep working with very little energy or money left

Compounds

exhaust fumes
3 3.2

Smoke and gases that a car engine releases into the air

How Harmful

poison gas
  • NSFW
12 5.7
exhaust
28 3.8
fumes
4.1
smoke
711 1.0
vapor
  • US
96 3.2

Surface Forms

fume singular
fumes plural

Morphology

fumes = fume (transparent) = fume + s

A straightforward plural formation from the noun 'fume'; meaning is directly the plural of the base noun.

Etymology

The word fumes comes from the old Latin word fumus, which means 'smoke'. You can see the same root in perfume, and that helps: fumes are like smoky gases or vapors, often unpleasant or harmful.