in bad odor
Regarded with disapproval; in a situation of being disliked; shunned.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He is in bad odor with his neighbors after the loud party.”
“You are in bad odor with the coach for skipping practice again.”
“Because she missed three deadlines in a row, she is currently in bad odor with her manager.”
“The company is in bad odor with local residents because it continues to dump waste into the river despite several warnings from the city.”
“After the scandal broke, the politician found himself in bad odor with the public, and his chances of reelection vanished overnight.”
The idiom is a secular inversion of the odour of sanctity, a concept originating in the mediaeval period to describe the pleasant fragrance allegedly emitted by the corpses of the particularly holy. While the bodies of the pious were said to smell of lilies or roses rather than decay, those in bad odour were understood to lack this divine aromatic endorsement. The phrase transitioned from a literal olfactory test of spiritual standing to a general metaphor for being held in low esteem.
- 01
bad actor
An individual or entity with a prior criminal conviction, or who has been sanctioned by the court or regulator.
- 02
bad apple
A person who is not wholesome, honest, or trustworthy, especially one who has an adverse influence on others.
- 03
bad books
Disfavor.
- 04
bad business
Synonym of bad news (“irritating, troublesome or harmful thing, situation or person”).
- 05
bad company
The wrong crowd.
- 06
bad egg
Someone whose behaviour is reprehensible or irresponsible; a rogue.
- 07
bad hair day
A day when things seem to be unmanageable or go wrong.
- 08
bad iron
bad luck.
Last updated August 10, 2026