sweet smell of success
The rewarding sense of having succeeded.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He finally enjoyed the sweet smell of success after his hard work.”
“After years of struggling to launch her business, she finally tasted the sweet smell of success when her sales doubled.”
“Having finally secured the promotion he had chased for a decade, he paused to savor the sweet smell of success before starting his new duties.”
- 01
home sweet home
Expressing contentment or relief at residing in or returning to one's own home.
- 02
keep someone sweet
To keep someone friendly or satisfied by complying with their wishes or preferences.
- 03
smell a rat
To sense something suspicious.
- 04
smell blood
To sense that one has an advantage over an adversary or rival.
- 05
smell fishy
To seem suspicious.
- 06
smell like a rose
To be regarded as appealing, virtuous, or respectable; to be untainted or unharmed.
- 07
smell like a tart's handbag
To smell strongly of perfume.
- 08
smell of an oily rag
A very small amount, or the absolute minimum (usually of money).
Last updated August 10, 2026