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stinker

stinker

5 6.7
A thing like a car that often breaks or does not work
  • noun
  • /ˈstɪŋkər/
  • Informal
translation icon : cacharro
  • He regretted his decision to invest in that stinker of a project, which never made a profit.
  • a real stinker

Examples

  • Every studio in town turned this stinker down.

  • After buying the used car, I realized it was a real stinker that needed constant repairs.

  • Bird knows how to make a great movie, and until he makes a stinker, he should be considered one of the best directors around.

    Blog text (6)
  • Now, what was the stinker you guys got saddled with?

  • There was a day when you really had to replace the stock Android keyboard, which was a real stinker.

    Blog text (13)
  • And that, in a nutshell, was why he'd taken such a stinker of a case.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • But the Hornets then played a stinker, losing at home to Philadelphia 77-62.

    Blog text (23)
  • But newsreels being on the schedule, the evening won't be a waste even if the films turn out to be stinkers.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Darn those Nats, I had resigned myself after those two stinkers that perhaps this just wasn't going to be our year.

    Blog text (2)
  • The movie received terrible reviews, and many considered it a stinker of a film.

Synonyms

lemon
vsstinker
  • Informal
25 4.9

A product, often a car, that has many problems

is the broader general term for any defective artifact rather than only cars
clunker
vsstinker
  • Informal
8 5.5

A thing, especially a product or show, that is poor quality and often fails

is used for things that are defective or unsatisfactory but not always total failures
junker
vsstinker
  • Informal
4 6.1

An old car in bad condition that often breaks down

covers any defective artifact regardless of age or wear
stinko
vsstinker
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Something that is very bad or poor quality

is mainly used for physical artifacts, especially vehicles, not performances or events
a real stinker
vsstinker
  • Informal
1 8.1

A thing that is very bad or unpleasant

is focused on faulty artifacts, especially cars, rather than general unpleasant things

Antonyms

gem
47 1.3

A small valuable stone cut and polished for use in jewelry or decoration

Idioms

a real stinker
  • Informal
1 8.1

A thing that is very bad or unpleasant

Compounds

7.5

A very bad idea

How Faulty

wreck
112 4.2
stinker
  • Informal
5 6.7
lemon
  • Informal
25 4.9
clunker
  • Informal
3 5.2

Surface Forms

stinker singular
stinkers plural

Morphology

stinker = stink (semi-transparent) = stink + er

While 'stink' is clear, the use of '-er' to denote a defective item is not a standard derivation.

Etymology

Stinker comes from the verb stink, which means 'bad smell', plus the ending -er that means 'one that'. So people began to call a thing that is really bad or troublesome a 'stinker', which is why it can mean a defective or unsatisfactory item like a faulty car.