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Glite Dictionary
🚗 A fresh scent ✨ A sense of newness
new-car smell

new-car smell

3 3.7
A pleasant smell inside a brand new car
  • noun
translation icon : olor a coche nuevo
  • Gotta love that new-car smell, huh, Mackenzie?
  • still has the new-car smell

Examples

  • I love this new car smell.

    Spy (2015)

  • The dealer had used a spray to give it a new car smell.

    Mothman (2022)

  • - Who wants a whiff of that new car smell?

    Starsky & Hutch (2004)

  • -Got that new-car smell, you know?

    Are We There Yet? (2005)

  • I get into the brand new SUV, and the new-car smell makes me feel excited about driving it.

  • The moment I opened the door, the new-car smell hit me, bringing back memories of my first car.

  • After picking up my new sedan from the dealership, I couldn't stop enjoying the new-car smell inside.

Synonyms

scent
vsnew-car smell
165 1.0

A pleasant smell from things like perfume or flowers

is specific to newly made vehicles rather than general aromas
perfume
vsnew-car smell
102 1.0

A pleasant smell that you notice and enjoy

is the particular factory aroma of newly made vehicles rather than a worn fragrance
whiff of perfume
vsnew-car smell
1 3.0

A short soft smell of perfume in the air

is a lasting distinctive aroma of newly made vehicles rather than a brief trace

Antonyms

foul-smelling
7 4.1

A very strong stink that makes you want to move away

How Fresh

new-car smell
3 3.7
odorless
  • US
11 3.0
stale air
2 2.8

Surface Forms

new-car smell singular
new-car smells plural

Morphology

new-car + smell

The phrase is directly built from 'new car' + 'smell' so the literal sense (the scent of a new car) is immediately derivable; the listed meaning is a metaphorical extension where 'smell' stands for an impression or aura of freshness/novelty. This figurative use is fairly transparent in context but requires pragmatic/metaphorical inference that a B1 learner may not reliably make without exposure, so it is only partially predictable.

Etymology

New-car smell comes from the real, strong scent inside a brand new vehicle made by fresh leather, glue, and plastic. That's why it means the actual scent you notice in a new car.