ENGLISH
REFERENCE

smelly

adj.
A2 Elementary US //ˈsmɛɫi// UK //smˈɛli// smelly Archaic Informal Slang

adj. having a strong or unpleasant scent. You use this to describe things that stink, like old socks or garbage.

adj. having a potent and typically offensive odour. Often used predicatively after linking verbs such as 'be', 'smell', or 'become'.


SIMPLE

The old gym bag is very smelly.

CONTEXTUAL

The kitchen became quite smelly after the trash was left out during the long holiday weekend.

COMPLEX

While some find the aroma of certain fermented foods appetizing, others consider them too smelly to keep in a shared office refrigerator.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From smell + -y.

Etymology 2

A comical pronunciation of the initials SMLE.

Usage

Often modified by degree adverbs like 'very', 'quite', or 'really'.

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