🌸 Sensing odors 👃 Having a scent

smelling

1 1.0

Having a noticeable smell, often like smoke or flowers

adjective
/ˈsmɛlɪŋ/

: con olor a

She walked by, smelling of jasmine and citrus from her perfume.

Yeah, and I've found that the worst smelling guests are the best looking guys.

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Examples

Mac has the best smelling lipsticks of all time.
WEARING THAT SWEET-SMELLING CHANEL COLOGNE I LOVE SO MUCH.

White Chicks (2004)
So it's really looking good, smelling amazing too.
All the winter sweaters came out smelling like cedar steaks.
Y'ALL COME IN HERE SMELLING GOOD, LOOKING GOOD.

The Wash (2001)
THEY COME SMELLING OF THE CELLOPHANE THEY'RE WRAPPED IN.

Betrayed (1988)
The flowers in the garden are smelling sweet and fragrant.
After baking, the kitchen is smelling of fresh bread and cookies.

Synonyms

smelly

vssmelling

118 1.0

Giving off a strong, unpleasant stink

is general and simply notes a noticeable smell without negativity

stinky

vssmelling

60 1.0

Having a very bad smell

is neutral and does not carry strong negative feeling

funky

vssmelling

Informal

18 6.9

Has a bad smell

is neutral and suitable for formal or general descriptions

scented

vssmelling

13 2.3

A thing like soap or a candle that has a pleasant smell because perfume was added

is the general natural smell not necessarily caused by added scent

aromatic

vssmelling

12 4.1

Having a strong, pleasant smell like spices or flowers

is neutral and may be pleasant or unpleasant

foul-smelling

vssmelling

7 4.1

A very strong stink that makes you want to move away

is neutral and does not imply extreme offensiveness

stinking

vssmelling

4 2.0

Having a very strong bad smell

is the milder, general term for any noticeable smell

sweet-smelling

vssmelling

4 2.3

Having a pleasant scent

is broader and may refer to smells that are not sweet

redolent

vssmelling

2 7.6

Having a strong smell of flowers or baking

is neutral and not limited to pleasant or evocative smells

redolent of

vssmelling

2 7.5

A strong smell or feeling that makes you remember something

is used more broadly for any noticeable scent, not only evocative ones

odorous

vssmelling

1 5.5

Having a smell you can notice

is the neutral term used with of or with to note a smell

odoriferous

vssmelling

Formal

1 9.3

Giving off a strong, often unpleasant smell you notice quickly

is the everyday neutral description rather than formal or humorous

odiferous

vssmelling

1 8.5

Having a strong smell that is often unpleasant

is neutral and can describe pleasant or unpleasant odors

vanilla-scented

vssmelling

1 3.5

A thing that smells of sweet vanilla, like a candle or ice cream

is the general descriptor for any noticeable smell, not a single aroma

strong-smelling

vssmelling

1 3.5

Gives off a strong smell that you notice quickly

is more neutral and does not imply high intensity

musk-scented

vssmelling

1 6.2

A warm, sweet smell like musk often used in perfumes

is general and does not point to any specific fragrance

unpleasant-smelling

vssmelling

1 3.8

Having a bad smell that people do not like

is the neutral description and does not judge the smell as bad

ill-smelling

vssmelling

1 4.4

That has a strong, unpleasant odor

is neutral and does not emphasise offensiveness

strong-scented

vssmelling

3.7

Having a very strong smell that you notice easily

is general and may describe weaker or less perfumed smells

perfumy

vssmelling

4.9

A strong smell like perfume that you notice easily

is neutral and can refer to any notable smell, not just perfume

pleasant-smelling

vssmelling

3.0

Having a nice scent

is neutral and does not imply that the odor is pleasant

stinkin

vssmelling

Informal

6.1

Giving off a very bad smell

is neutral and used in standard descriptions without slang

ill-scented

vssmelling

6.3

Having a strong, unpleasant smell

is the general term and does not label smells as bad

rank-smelling

vssmelling

7.1

Having a very strong, unpleasant smell like rotten food

is general and covers any distinct smell rather than rot

Antonyms

odorless

11 3.0

Not having any smell

Compounds

foul-smelling

7 4.1

A very strong stink that makes you want to move away

smelling salts

6 4.1

A strong, sharp liquid people breathe in to wake someone who fainted

sweet-smelling

4 2.3

Having a pleasant scent

putrid-smelling

1 8.2

A very bad smell like rotten food

strong-smelling

1 3.5

Gives off a strong smell that you notice quickly

unpleasant-smelling

1 3.8

Having a bad smell that people do not like

rank-smelling

7.1

Having a very strong, unpleasant smell like rotten food

pleasant-smelling

3.0

Having a nice scent

smelling bottle

Archaic

8.6

A small bottle with a strong smell that helps wake someone who has fainted

How Smelly

foul-smelling

7 4.1

smelly

118 1.0

smelling

1 1.0

odorless

11 3.0

Surface Forms

smelling positive

Morphology

smelling = smell (transparent) = smell + ing

A regular participial/adjectival formation from the verb 'smell' (smell + -ing) meaning 'having a smell', which is directly predictable.

Etymology

Smelling comes from an old English verb smell, which meant 'to notice with the nose' or 'to give off an odor', so when something is smelling of smoke it is simply giving off that noticeable scent.