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stinky

stinky

60 1.0
Having a very bad smell
  • adjective
  • /ˈstɪŋki/
translation icon : apestoso
  • Their kimchi is NY style, so there is no stinky fish sauce.
  • stinky feet
  • stinky cheese
  • stinky tofu

You've got garments and they're dirty and stinky and probably lice infested.

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Examples

  • The garbage can has a stinky odor that makes it hard to walk by.

  • Until then, Gage intends to use the bins on a full-time basis for anything "wet and stinky."

    Academic text (1997)
  • What is this stinky place?

  • Guarantee you it's going to smell like a stinky fish market.

  • But you know what should not be in the air is that stinky, horrible, awful smell of a litter box.

  • My clothes kept coming out stinky, and I couldn't figure out why.

    Blog text (18)
  • Buried rotten things have a way of sending stinky gases up to the surface.

    Blog text (8)
  • And sometimes just plain old life issues, like stinky feet or that Drezz pees in pools.

    Blog text (17)
  • Listen, when I eat eggs, I do experience some discomfort in my belly and I get really bad parts, like really, really bad, stinky, stinky, uncomfortable gas.

  • After playing outside all day, the kids came home with stinky shoes.

Synonyms

smelly
vsstinky
118 1.0

Giving off a strong, unpleasant stink

is more colloquial and vivid about the unpleasantness
foul
vsstinky
24 3.0

Having a very bad smell or taste

focuses only on smell rather than both taste and smell
yucky
vsstinky
  • Informal
22 6.8

Not pleasant to taste or smell

is limited to smell and does not include taste or general disgust
pungent
vsstinky
18 4.8

Having a strong, sharp smell or taste that can be unpleasant

refers to an unpleasant smell without suggesting sharpness or stimulation
funky
vsstinky
  • Informal
18 6.9

Has a bad smell

is direct and blunt about the unpleasant smell rather than playful
fetid
vsstinky
8 7.9

A very strong, bad smell like rotten food or trash

is similar but more general, not stressing extreme offensiveness
foul-smelling
vsstinky
7 4.1

A very strong stink that makes you want to move away

uses common speech to describe a strong unpleasant smell
stinking
vsstinky
4 2.0

Having a very strong bad smell

is a strong unpleasant smell but described without extra intensity
malodorous
vsstinky
4 8.2

Having a very bad smell that people dislike

uses everyday language rather than formal wording for the same idea
odiferous
vsstinky
1 8.5

Having a strong smell that is often unpleasant

is focused specifically on being unpleasant rather than just distinctive
odoriferous
vsstinky
  • Formal
1 9.3

Giving off a strong, often unpleasant smell you notice quickly

is plain, everyday language rather than formal or literary usage
skunky
vsstinky
1 7.6

Smelling very bad like a skunk

is general for any offensive smell rather than a specific source
unsavory
vsstinky
  • US
1 6.5

Something that smells or tastes bad

focuses solely on offensive smell rather than also poor taste
1 3.8

Having a bad smell that people do not like

is more vivid and informal about the strength and offensiveness
ill-smelling
vsstinky
1 4.4

That has a strong, unpleasant odor

uses everyday speech rather than a slightly formal tone
stinkin
vsstinky
  • Informal
6.1

Giving off a very bad smell

describes a strong offensive smell but in a simpler way
reeking
vsstinky
5.0

Having a very strong bad smell like smoke or rot

is the basic label for a strong offensive smell without emphasis
rank
vsstinky
6.7

Having a very strong unpleasant smell or taste

is a general strong unpleasant smell without extra emphasis
rank-smelling
vsstinky
7.1

Having a very strong, unpleasant smell like rotten food

refers to a bad smell broadly, not specifically rancid
reechy
vsstinky
  • Archaic
9.9

Having a strong bad smell that makes you move away

denotes a strong unpleasant smell but without the added harshness
ill-scented
vsstinky
6.3

Having a strong, unpleasant smell

is the common everyday expression rather than the formal one

Antonyms

34 2.2

Having a pleasant smell like flowers or soap

1 4.3

A plant or substance with a strong, pleasant smell used in cooking

Compounds

stinky squid
  • Specialized
9.9

A small mushroom that looks like a squid and smells bad to attract flies

How Smelly

putrid
12 7.0
fetid
8 7.9
stinky
60 1.0
smelly
118 1.0

Surface Forms

stinky positive
stinkier comparative
stinkiest superlative

Morphology

stinky = stink (transparent) = stink + y

The adjective is a straightforward adjectival formation from 'stink' meaning 'having a bad smell', which learners can directly infer.

Etymology

The word stinky comes from stink, which meant 'to give off a strong smell', plus the ending -y meaning 'full of'. So stinky literally means 'full of a bad smell', which is why we use it for things that smell awful.