Word
odor
/ˈoʊdɝ/
UK spelling · odour
Definitions
01a smell
n. a smell, especially one that is strong or easy to notice.
n. a distinctive smell, whether pleasant or unpleasant, though often used for strong or chemical scents.
“The strong odor of cleaning chemicals filled the hospital hallway.”
“The investigators noticed a faint, metallic odor lingering in the laboratory, suggesting that a chemical reaction had recently taken place.”
American English
Usage
Commonly used in scientific or medical contexts to describe neutral or unpleasant smells.
Pitfall
The flower has a beautiful odor.
The flower has a beautiful scent.
While 'odor' can mean any smell, it is usually used for neutral or bad smells. For flowers or perfume, use 'scent' or 'aroma'.
02body smell
n. the natural smell of a person's body, especially when they have been sweating.
n. the characteristic smell of a human body, typically used in the compound 'body odor' (BO).
“He used deodorant every morning to prevent body odor.”
“The locker room was thick with the pungent odor of sweat and damp towels after the championship game.”
American English
Usage
Often abbreviated to 'BO' in informal speech.
Synonyms
03reputation or favor
n. the way people think about you; your reputation.
n. the state of being held in a certain level of esteem or favor, usually in the phrase 'in bad odor'.
“The politician was in bad odor with the public after the scandal.”
“Following the failed merger, the CEO found himself in particularly bad odor with the board of directors.”
Formal · Literary
Teaching tip
This sense is almost exclusively used in the idiom 'in bad odor with someone', meaning to be in trouble or disliked by them.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Do not rely on appearance or odor to judge safety.” Etymology
From Middle English odour, borrowed from Anglo-Norman odour, from Old French odor, from Latin odor. Cognates * Swedish odör (“bad smell”)
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
in bad odor — Regarded with disapproval; in a situation of being disliked; shunned.
in good odor — liked, in someone's good books.