fishiness

1 4.4

A fish smell or a feeling that something is wrong

noun
/ˈfɪʃiˌnəs/

: sospecha

I don't taste fishiness, but I'm not impressed.

Examples

So it being clam chowder instead, it's like fishiness together.
Depth of flavor without the fishiness.

The Roses (2025)
On the subject of "fishiness" - of course it sounds fishy without the full details.

Blog text (15)
It it actually makes the fishiness fishy.
The thing about sardines when you buy them in a can is that they are fairly uniform in size and flavor; their individual identities have disappeared into the general fishiness of the soybean oil, and one forgets a sardine quickly after one has partaken of it.

Academic text (2009)
The dish was delicious and had no fishiness, making it a perfect choice for those who dislike seafood.
Many people appreciate the freshness of sushi because it lacks any strong fishiness.
The chef was careful to prepare the recipe in a way that minimized any fishiness in the sauce.

Synonyms

fishy smell

vsfishiness

2 2.6

A strong unpleasant smell like fish

also expresses a sense of being suspicious or questionable

foulness

vsfishiness

1 7.2

A strong, very bad smell from sewage or rotten garbage

is more specific, applying to seafood scent or to being suspicious

stinkiness

vsfishiness

1 4.3

A strong unpleasant smell that makes people move away

is narrower, focusing on seafood odor or on implying doubt

Antonyms

freshness

15 1.0

The state of being new and clean, not stale or spoiled

trustworthiness

12 3.8

A quality that shows someone or something is reliable and honest

How Suspicious

suspicion

170 3.0

fishiness

1 4.4

doubt

∞ 1.6

Surface Forms

fishiness singular

fishinesses plural

Morphology

fishiness = fishy (semi-transparent) = fish + y + ness

The noun is a regular derivation from the adjective 'fishy' using '-ness' to mark the quality, so the formation is straightforward.

Etymology

The word fishiness comes from the simple word fish plus the ending -ness, originally meaning the quality of 'smelling like fish'. A helpful way to remember the other meaning is this: if something 'smells' wrong people call it fishy, so fishiness now means both a fish-like smell and a feeling that something is 'suspicious'.