# smelling

/ˈsmɛɫɪŋ/ (US) · /smˈɛlɪŋ/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 3. the act of sniffing

noun · CEFR B1

the act of taking a sniff of something.

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

- Give the milk a quick smelling to see if it is still fresh.
- After a thorough smelling of the various perfumes, she finally decided which one suited her best.

Usage: often follows 'a' or 'the'.

## Examples

- She is smelling the flowers in the garden.
- I could tell the bread was ready because I started smelling the fresh yeast from the other room.
- While walking through the spice market, smelling the pungent aromas of cumin and coriander reminded him of his childhood in Istanbul.

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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.