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sweet-smelling

sweet-smelling

4 2.3
Having a pleasant scent
  • adjective
  • /ˈswitˌsmɛlɪŋ/
translation icon : fragante
  • Max felt her leaning against him, warm and sweet smelling—she'd tucked plumeria blossoms behind her ears.
  • sweet-smelling soap
  • sweet-smelling flower
  • sweet-smelling smoke

Essentially, I was a shampoo addict looking for my next new fix of sweet smelling shampoo.

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Examples

  • She lit a sweet-smelling candle that filled the room with a warm, inviting scent.

  • Julie breathed in deeply; the air was tinged with fresh-cut, sweet-smelling hay.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • We hear all about this warm stable with animals and the sweet-smelling hay.

  • At the sound of the buzzer, we return to dry, sweet-smelling laundry, ready to fold and put away.

    Blog text (16)
  • Women in southern Morocco paint these small leather bags and use them to hold sweet-smelling herbs.

    Academic text (2006)
  • The soft crackle and hiss of things burning gave off a sweet-smelling smoke.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Roses are as well known for their briars as they are for their beautiful colors and sweet-smelling scents.

    Academic text (2017)
  • There are scores of citrus trees here, glossy and sweet-smelling, planted just to please us.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Rabbit hopped around a patch of sweet-smelling strawberries.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Kicking aside a clump of newly cut lawn, I kneel down in the cool, sweet-smelling damp grass.

    Fiction book (1999)

Synonyms

sweet
vssweet-smelling
81 1.0

Having a pleasant smell like flowers

is the broader term covering pleasant aromas beyond natural notes
fragrant
vssweet-smelling
34 2.2

Having a pleasant smell like flowers or soap

is the general term for simple pleasant aroma
luscious
vssweet-smelling
14 4.3

Having a very rich, sweet taste or smell that feels pleasant

is a simpler term for an ordinary pleasant aroma
scented
vssweet-smelling
13 2.3

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

is a broader description not implying an added scent
aromatic
vssweet-smelling
12 4.1

Having a strong, pleasant smell like spices or flowers

is milder and does not imply strong intensity
flowery
vssweet-smelling
6 3.5

Smelling or looking like flowers

is not limited to floral qualities or floral aroma
perfumed
vssweet-smelling
5 4.1

Has a pleasant smell from perfume or flowers

is the general adjective and does not imply added perfume
ambrosial
vssweet-smelling
1 8.6

Very pleasing to the taste or smell, like delicious food

is milder and denotes ordinary pleasant aroma rather than heavenly
sweet-scented
vssweet-smelling
1 3.0

Having a pleasant sweet smell

is similar but applies to both natural and added fragrances
sweetish
vssweet-smelling
1 3.3

A little sweet in taste or smell

is used for clearly pleasant aromas rather than faint sweetness
pleasant-smelling
vssweet-smelling
3.0

Having a nice scent

is more focused on a sugarlike aroma than general pleasantness
odoriferous
vssweet-smelling
  • Formal
8.5

Having a pleasant smell like flowers or spices

is less about distinctiveness and more about general pleasantness
oloroso
vssweet-smelling
8.7

Having a strong, pleasant smell like fresh bread or flowers

is less intense, meaning simply an agreeable aroma

Antonyms

A very strong stink that makes you want to move away

How Fragrant

perfumed
5 4.1
aromatic
12 4.1
sweet-smelling
4 2.3
fragrant
34 2.2
scented
13 2.3

Surface Forms

sweet-smelling positive

Morphology

sweet-smelling = sweet + smell (transparent) = sweet + smell + ing

A transparent compound of 'sweet' + 'smell' with the participial '-ing' producing an adjective meaning 'having a sweet (pleasant) smell'.

Etymology

Sweet-smelling comes from the common word sweet, which means 'pleasant' and often describes taste, and smelling, which means 'having a smell'. Think of honey or roses that smell sweet, so sweet-smelling simply means 'having a pleasant smell'.