# scent

/ˈsɛnt/ (US) · /sˈɛnt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/scent
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. a pleasant smell

noun · CEFR B1

a pleasant or distinctive smell, especially one from a plant or a perfume.

For teachers: a distinctive, typically pleasant odour, often associated with flowers, perfumes, or natural environments.

- The sweet scent of roses filled the garden after the rain.
- The perfumer spent months balancing the top notes to ensure the scent remained light yet sophisticated throughout the day.

### 2. an animal's trail

noun · CEFR B2

the smell left behind by an animal or person that others can follow.

For teachers: the chemical trail or odour left by an animal, used by predators or tracking dogs to locate their quarry.

- The hunting dogs picked up the scent of the fox near the river.
- The bloodhound followed the cold scent through the dense underbrush, eventually leading the search party to the edge of the abandoned campsite.

### 3. the sense of smell

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the natural ability to smell things.

For teachers: the faculty or power of perceiving odours; the olfactory sense.

- Dogs have a much stronger sense of scent than humans do.
- The predator relies primarily on its acute scent to navigate the forest floor in total darkness.

### 4. to detect a smell

verb · CEFR B2

to notice a smell using your nose.

For teachers: to perceive or detect by means of the olfactory organs; to catch the odour of.

- The cat scented a mouse hiding behind the wooden boxes.
- The deer suddenly stopped grazing, having scented a predator on the breeze blowing from the north.

### 5. to add a smell to

verb · CEFR B2

to give something a pleasant smell.

For teachers: to imbue or perfume something with a specific fragrance.

- She likes to use candles that are scented with vanilla and cinnamon.
- The manufacturer decided to scent the laundry detergent with lavender to appeal to customers seeking a calming household environment.

### 6. to suspect something

verb · CEFR C1 · Literary

to start to believe that something is happening or about to happen.

For teachers: to sense or suspect the presence or imminence of something through intuition rather than direct evidence.

- The reporters scented a scandal when the politician suddenly resigned.
- The investors scented a bargain as the company's stock price plummeted despite its strong underlying assets.

## Examples

- The sweet scent of roses fills the garden.
- The hunting dog picked up the scent of the fox and followed it through the thick woods.
- The perfumer spent months balancing the top notes of citrus with a deep, woody scent to create a fragrance that felt both fresh and grounded.

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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.