pestilential smell
- noun
- /ˌpɛstɪˈlɛnʃəl smɛl/
- Literature
:
olor pestilente
- No one could stand the pestilential smell coming from the abandoned house.
Examples
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The pestilential smell from the garbage filled the entire alleyway.
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After the flood, a pestilential smell lingered in the basement for weeks.
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What a pestilential smell!
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The pestilential smell from the garbage was unbearable.
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After the flood, a pestilential smell lingered in the basement for weeks.
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No one could stand the pestilential smell coming from the abandoned house.
-
The pestilential smell from the garbage filled the entire alleyway.
Synonyms
145
1.9
A strong or noticeable smell, often unpleasant like smoke
111
1.1
A very bad smell that people dislike
80
3.5
A very bad strong smell that makes you feel sick
1
3.3
A strong sharp smell that makes your eyes water
1
7.2
A strong, very bad smell from sewage or rotten garbage
1
9.0
A very strong bad smell that makes you feel sick
1
8.9
A strong unpleasant smell that people find offensive
1
4.3
A strong unpleasant smell that makes people move away
A strong, very bad smell that makes people feel sick
A very strong unpleasant smell that makes people feel sick
A strong, unpleasant smell that is easy to notice
A strong, unpleasant smell that people dislike
A strong, bitter smell or taste that burns the nose
An unpleasant damp smell in places like basements or cellars
A strong, nasty smell like rotten food that makes you feel sick
Antonyms
How Foul
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'pestilential' (resembling pestilence) directly modifies 'smell', so the phrase compositionally means an odor reminiscent of disease or decay; this meaning is directly derivable from the constituents. Cross-linguistic cognates and the clear modifier+noun structure make the phrase predictable for a learner who knows both words.
Etymology
The noun pestilential smell comes from the old word pestilential, which was connected to the 'plague' because people long ago noticed rotten, sick smells near disease and death. So a pestilential smell now means a very foul, 'disease-like' odor.