ENGLISH
REFERENCE

smelling

n.
US //ˈsmɛɫɪŋ// UK //smˈɛlɪŋ// smelling
  1. 1 the act of sniffing (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the act of taking a sniff of something.

    the gerund form acting as a noun to describe the instance of using the sense of smell.

    Example

    Give the milk a quick smelling to see if it is still fresh.

    Example

    After a thorough smelling of the various perfumes, she finally decided which one suited her best.

    Usage

    often follows 'a' or 'the'.

Last updated June 20, 2026