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whiffy odor

whiffy odor

7.4
A strong, unpleasant smell that people dislike
  • noun
  • Informal
translation icon : olor desagradable
  • Opening the old suitcase released a surprisingly whiffy odor into the room.

Examples

  • She tried not to comment on the whiffy odor coming from the fridge.

  • A whiffy odor filled the locker room after the game.

  • The room had a strong whiffy odor.

  • I noticed a whiffy odor coming from the kitchen.

  • A whiffy odor filled the locker room after the game.

  • Opening the old suitcase released a surprisingly whiffy odor into the room.

  • She tried not to comment on the whiffy odor coming from the fridge.

Synonyms

odor
vswhiffy odor
  • US
145 1.9

A strong or noticeable smell, often unpleasant like smoke

is narrower because it always means a strong, bad, or offensive smell
stink
vswhiffy odor
111 1.1

A very bad smell that people dislike

is similar but describes the same bad smell without extra emphasis
stench
vswhiffy odor
80 3.5

A very bad strong smell that makes you feel sick

is similar but less focused on overwhelming intensity or spread
niff
vswhiffy odor
  • UK
1 9.9

An unpleasant strong smell that comes from old or dirty things

is more general and covers any strong offensive smell not only stale ones
pungent smell
vswhiffy odor
1 3.3

A strong sharp smell that makes your eyes water

is more about general offensiveness rather than sharpness or bite
foulness
vswhiffy odor
1 7.2

A strong, very bad smell from sewage or rotten garbage

is the more casual everyday name for that same bad smell
stinkiness
vswhiffy odor
1 4.3

A strong unpleasant smell that makes people move away

is the more neutral or slightly less colloquial way to name the same smell
rankness
vswhiffy odor
1 9.0

A very strong bad smell that makes you feel sick

is the common phrase for that same strong and disagreeable smell
fetidness
vswhiffy odor
8.4

A very strong unpleasant smell that makes people feel sick

is the informal everyday way to describe the same bad smell
malodorousness
vswhiffy odor
8.9

A strong, unpleasant smell that is easy to notice

is the common informal phrase rather than this formal condition term
mephitis
vswhiffy odor
9.9

A strong, very bad smell that makes people feel sick

is the everyday label for the same strong offensive smell
yucky smell
vswhiffy odor
  • Informal
5.6

A strong, nasty smell like rotten food that makes you feel sick

is the more neutral description used by adults for the same bad smell
pestilential smell
vswhiffy odor
  • Literature
9.4

A very strong bad air that makes you think of rotting things or disease

is used more generally for bad smells, not specifically disease related

Antonyms

83 2.6

A pleasant sweet smell from flowers or perfume

Having a nice scent

How Strong

stench
80 3.5
whiffy odor
  • Informal
7.4
odor
  • US
145 1.9
scent
165 1.0
whiff
60 3.2

Surface Forms

whiffy odor singular
whiffy odors plural

Morphology

whiffy + odor

The adjective 'whiffy' is built from 'whiff' (a brief/small smell) with a productive -y adjective-forming pattern, so its meaning is clearly related to smell and therefore partly predictable when paired with 'odor'. However, 'whiffy' is informal/rare and carries a colloquial negative nuance that a B1 learner might not reliably infer, so the phrase is not fully transparent.

Etymology

The phrase whiffy odor comes from the word whiff, a short puff of smell, and whiffy describes something that gives off that puff. Picture a small, sharp puff of bad air that hits your nose, and you can see why a whiffy odor means 'a strong, unpleasant smell'.