to stink
248
5.3
- verb
- /stɪŋk/
- Informal
:
apestar
- She said the new policy at work stinks because it reduces employee benefits.
You know, like make it not stink and paint it right.
- You know, like make it not stink and paint it right.
- It just was an entire struggle and it stinks so bad.
- Well, it stinks just to hit the canvas.
- So this thing from beginning to end, top to bottom, just stinks of being unfair.
- You stink, you stink, you stink.
- And then this one goes bad and they go, boy, that would really stink to lock in this long.
- This is so complicated and it really stinks.
Examples
-
This whole thing stinks to high heaven.
-
"But listen, I put on a little act sometimes, but it really does stink here."
Fiction book (1990) -
Like we were talking, Oh my God, you stink bad.
-
You stink, you stink, you stink.
-
Nobody wants to be the bad friend that told you that you know you stink, you sweat too much.
-
Our public education system absolutely stinks, and it is getting worse all the time.
Blog text (7) -
Yes, he has a reason, and personally, I think it stinks, but it makes sense to Leo.
Fiction book (1996) -
You're right man this country stinks.
-
You need people who won't automatically tell you how excellent it is, even if it stinks.
Academic text (2010) -
That stinks!
Synonyms
910
8.0
To be very bad or unpleasant
5
8.1
Have a very strong bad smell or seem very wrong
Idioms
- Offensive
A person who acts as if they are perfect and better than others
- Offensive
To spread bad news or rumors very quickly and be hard to stop
- Informal
Have a very strong smell like old fish or seem clearly suspicious
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
- US
A pale green fly that gives off a bad smell and whose young eat insects that harm plants
How Bad
- Informal
248
5.3
- Informal
910
8.0
Surface Forms
Etymology
Stink originally comes from old English stincan meaning 'to smell bad', and people began using it for bad things too because a bad idea or service 'smells' wrong, so if something stinks it means it is very bad.