# rancid

/ˈɹænsɪd/ (US) · /ɹˈɑːnsɪd/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/rancid
Updated: 2026-05-25

## Definition

having a very strong, unpleasant smell or taste because something has gone bad. You use this to describe old oil, butter, or cheese that has spoiled.

For teachers: having a strong, offensive, or putrid smell or taste, typically resulting from the spoilage of fats or oils. Often used to describe the sensory quality of rancid butter or spoiled nuts.

## Examples

- The old butter in the back of the fridge was rancid.
- After leaving the olive oil in the sun for a week, the bottle was completely rancid and had to be thrown away.
- The chef had to discard the entire batch of saffron because the rancid scent of the old oil had already begun to taint the delicate floral notes of the spice.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.