stench
n. countablen. a very strong and unpleasant smell. It is much stronger and more disgusting than just a bad scent.
n. a strong and foul odour. Often implies a lingering or pervasive quality associated with decay or filth.
The stench of rotting garbage filled the alley.
When the workers opened the old basement door, they were hit by the damp stench of stagnant water.
Despite the heavy use of industrial fans, the metallic stench of the factory floor clung to the workers' clothes long after their shifts had ended.
From Middle English stench, from Old English stenċ (“stench, odor, fragrance”), from Proto-Germanic stankwiz (“smell, fragrance, odor”), from Proto-Indo-European stengʷ- (“to push, thrust”). Cognate with Dutch stank (“stench, odor”), German Stank, Gestank (“stench, odor, smell”), Danish stank (“stench”), Swedish stank (“stench”), Icelandic stækja (“stench”).
Often used in the singular with 'of' to describe the source of the smell.