smell
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Topics: medicine
physiology
sciences
Etymology: Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *smel-der.
Proto-West Germanic *smalljan
Old English *smiellan
Middle English smellen
English smell
From Middle English smellen, smillen, smyllen, smullen, from Old English *smyllan, *smiellan (“to smell, emit fumes”), from Proto-West Germanic *smallijan (“to glow, burn, smoulder”), from Proto-Indo-European *smel- (“to burn, smoke, smoulder; tar, pitch”). The noun is from Middle English smel, smil, smul (“smell, odour”). Related to Saterland Frisian smeele (“to smoulder”), Middle Dutch smōlen (“to burn, smoulder”) (whence Dutch smeulen (“to smoulder”)), Middle Low German smölen (“to be hazy, be dusty”) (whence Low German smölen (“smoulder”)), Low German smullen (“emit smoke”), West Flemish smoel (“stuffy, muggy, hazy”), Danish smul (“dust, powder”), Lithuanian smilkyti (“to incense, fumigate”), Lithuanian smilkti (“to smudge, smolder, fume, reek”), Lithuanian smalkinti (“to fume”), Middle Irish smál, smól, smúal (“fire, gleed, embers, ashes”), Russian смола́ (smolá, “resin, tar”). Compare smoulder, smother.
Inflected forms:
form: smells
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: smells
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: smelling
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: smelled
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: smelled
pos: verb
tags: past
form: smelt
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: smelt
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: A sensation, pleasant or unpleasant, detected by inhaling air (or, the case of water-breathing animals, water) carrying airborne molecules of a substance.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: I love the smell of fresh bread.
The penetrating smell of cabbage reached the nose of Toad as he lay prostrate in his misery on the floor, and gave him the idea for a moment that perhaps life was not such a blank and desperate thing as he had imagined. But still he wailed, and kicked with his legs, and refused to be comforted. So the wise girl retired for the time, but, of course, a good deal of the smell of hot cabbage remained behind, as it will do, and Toad, between his sobs, sniffed and reflected, and gradually began to think new and inspiring thoughts: of chivalry, and poetry[…]
gloss: The sense that detects odours.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: A conclusion or intuition that a situation is wrong, more complex than it seems, or otherwise inappropriate.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: I’m just saying, this has a bad smell to it.
gloss: To sense a smell or smells.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: I can smell fresh bread.
Smell the milk and tell me whether it's gone off.
gloss: To sense a smell or smells.
pos: verb
tags: broadly
transitive
examples: I smell a device.
gloss: Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad.
pos: verb
tags: copulative
intransitive
examples: The roses smell lovely.
Her feet smell of cheese.
The drunkard smelt like a brewery.
Philander went into the next room[…]and came back with a salt mackerel[…]. Next he put the mackerel in a fry-pan, and the shanty began to smell like a Banks boat just in from a v'yage.
Este's been losing sleep / Her husband's acting different and it smells like infidelity
gloss: Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad.
pos: verb
tags: broadly
copulative
intransitive
examples: I do smell all horse-piss
gloss: Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad.
pos: verb
tags: copulative
intransitive
examples: Ew, this restroom smells (loathsomely).
gloss: Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad.
pos: verb
tags: copulative
figuratively
intransitive
examples: A report smells of calumny.
Praises in an enemy are superfluous, or smell of craft.
gloss: To give heed to.
pos: verb
tags: obsolete
examples: So from that tyme forwarde I began to ſmell the word of god, and forſoke the ſchole doctors and ſuch foolries.
Synonyms: fragrance
odor
odour
scent
pong
reek
stench
stink
flair
smell
Related words: nose
anosmia
sense
Derived words: code smell
money does not smell
money has no smell
new-car smell
sense of smell
smaste
smell-alike
smell blindness
smell-brain
smell-feast
smell fox
smellful
smell-o-meter
smell-o-rama
smell-o-vision
smellproof
smellscape
smell-smock
smellsome
smell trap
sweet smell of success
foresmell
besmell
come out smelling like a rose
come out smelling of roses
come up smelling like a rose
come up smelling of roses
foul-smelling
outsmell
resmell
smellable
smell a fox
smell a rat
smell blood
smell blood in the water
smellevision
smell fishy
smellfungus
smellie
smelling bottle
smelling salt
smell like a rose
smell like a tart's bedroom
smell like a tart's boudoir
smell like a tart's handbag
smell like a tart's handkerchief
smell of an oily rag
smell of the lamp
smell of the shop
smell one's own farts
smell out
smell test
smell the barn
smell the coffee
smell the roses
smell up
smell what someone is stepping in
smelly
smell ya later
smell you later
smock-smelling
stop and smell the flowers
stop and smell the roses
stop to smell the roses
sweet-smelling
unsmell
unsmelled
wake up and smell the ashes
wake up and smell the coffee
wake up and smell the roses
Translations:
lang: Afrikaans
word: ruik
lang: Arabic
word: شَمَّ
roman: šamma
lang: Arabic
word: اِشْتَمَّ
roman: ištamma
lang: Arabic
word: شم
roman: šamm
lang: Armenian
word: հոտ քաշել
roman: hot kʻašel
lang: Armenian
word: հոտ առնել
roman: hot aṙnel
lang: Armenian
word: հոտոտել
roman: hototel
lang: Aromanian
word: anjurdzescu
lang: Aromanian
word: njurzescu
lang: Aromanian
word: anjurzescu
lang: Assamese
word: শুঙা
roman: xuṅa
lang: Asturian
word: goliflar
lang: Asturian
word: goler
lang: Asturian
word: goliquiar
lang: Azerbaijani
word: iyləmək
lang: Basque
word: usaindu
lang: Belarusian
word: адчува́ць пах
roman: adčuvácʹ pax
lang: Belarusian
word: чуць
roman: čucʹ
lang: Belarusian
word: ню́хаць
roman: njúxacʹ
lang: Bengali
word: গন্ধ পাওয়া
roman: gondho paōẇa
lang: Bulgarian
word: ду́ша
roman: dúša
lang: Bulgarian
word: мири́ша
roman: miríša
lang: Burmese
word: နမ်း
roman: nam:
lang: Catalan
word: sentir olor de
lang: Catalan
word: olorar
lang: Catalan
word: odorar
lang: Catalan
word: ensumar
lang: Catalan
word: flairar
lang: Chinese Cantonese
word: 聞 /闻
roman: man⁴
lang: Eastern Min Chinese
word: 鼻
roman: bei
lang: Chinese
word: 鼻
roman: phīⁿ
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 聞 /闻
roman: wén
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 嗅
roman: xiù
lang: Czech
word: cítit
lang: Czech
word: čichat
lang: Danish
word: lugte
lang: Dutch
word: ruiken
lang: Esperanto
word: flari
lang: Estonian
word: haistma
lang: Extremaduran
word: golel
lang: Faroese
word: lukta
lang: Finnish
word: haistaa
lang: French
word: sentir
lang: French
word: humer
lang: French
word: flairer
lang: French
word: odorer
lang: Friulian
word: sintî
lang: Galician
word: cheirar
lang: Georgian
word: ყნოსვა
roman: q̇nosva
lang: German
word: riechen
lang: Greek
word: μυρίζω
roman: myrízo
lang: Gujarati
word: સૂંઘવું
roman: sūṅghvũ
lang: Haitian Creole
word: santi
lang: Hebrew
word: הֵרִיחַ
roman: heríakh
lang: Hindi
word: सूँघना
roman: sūṅghnā
lang: White Hmong
word: hnia
lang: Hungarian
word: szagol
lang: Hungarian
word: megszagol
lang: Hungarian
word: érez
lang: Icelandic
word: finna lykt(ina) af
lang: Ido
word: flarar
lang: Indonesian
word: mencium
lang: Interlingua
word: olfacer
lang: Irish
word: bolaigh
lang: Italian
word: sentire l'odore
lang: Italian
word: fiutare
lang: Japanese
word: 嗅ぐ
roman: kagu
lang: Japanese
word: 匂いを感じる
roman: nioi o kanjiru
lang: Javanese
word: ngambu
lang: Kabuverdianu
word: txerá
lang: Kabuverdianu
word: txera
lang: Korean
word: 냄새를 맡다
roman: naemsae-reul matda
lang: Korean
word: 맡다
roman: matda
lang: Central Kurdish
word: بۆنکردن
roman: bonkirdin
lang: Lao
word: ດົມ
roman: dom
lang: Latin
word: olefaciō
lang: Latin
word: olfaciō
lang: Latvian
word: ost
lang: Lithuanian
word: uosti
lang: Lü
word: ᦡᦳᧄ
roman: ḋum
lang: Macedonian
word: намирисува
roman: namirisuva
lang: Macedonian
word: мириса
roman: mirisa
lang: Malay
word: menghidu
lang: Manx
word: soar
lang: Māori
word: hongi
lang: Māori
word: hongihongi
lang: Māori
word: whakamono
lang: Marathi
word: वास घेणे
roman: vās gheṇe
lang: Marshallese
word: ātāt
lang: Mongolian
word: үнэрлэх
roman: ünerlex
lang: Nahuatl
word: ihnecui
lang: Navajo
word: yishchin
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: lukte
lang: Occitan
word: flairar
lang: Old English
word: ġestincan
lang: Papiamentu
word: ole
lang: Iranian Persian
word: بوییدَن
roman: buyidan
lang: Iranian Persian
word: اَنْبوییدَن
roman: anbuyidan
lang: Iranian Persian
word: شِنُفْتَن
roman: šenoftan
lang: Iranian Persian
word: بو کَرْدَن
roman: bu kardan
lang: Polish
word: wąchać
lang: Polish
word: powąchać
lang: Portuguese
word: cheirar
lang: Quechua
word: mutkhiy
lang: Rapa Nui
word: hongi
lang: Romanian
word: mirosi
lang: Romansh
word: odurar
lang: Russian
word: чу́вствовать за́пах
roman: čúvstvovatʹ zápax
lang: Russian
word: ощуща́ть за́пах
roman: oščuščátʹ zápax
lang: Russian
word: обоня́ть
roman: obonjátʹ
lang: Russian
word: чу́ять
roman: čújatʹ
lang: Russian
word: ню́хать
roman: njúxatʹ
lang: Sanskrit
word: जिघ्रति
roman: jighrati
lang: Santali
word: ᱥᱳ
roman: so
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: мирѝсати
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: њу̏шити
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: mirìsati
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: njȕšiti
lang: Shan
word: ၼူမ်
roman: nǔum
lang: Sicilian
word: ciaurari
lang: Slovak
word: cítiť
lang: Slovak
word: čuchať
lang: Slovene
word: vohati
lang: Lower Sorbian
word: cuś
lang: Spanish
word: oler
lang: Spanish
word: husmear
lang: Spanish
word: olorosar
lang: Sranan Tongo
word: smeri
lang: Sundanese
word: ambung
lang: Swedish
word: lukta
lang: Tajik
word: бӯйидан
roman: büyyidan
lang: Tajik
word: бӯй кардан
roman: büy kardan
lang: Tetum
word: horon
lang: Thai
word: ดม
roman: dom
lang: Tocharian B
word: wär-sk-
lang: Turkish
word: koklamak
lang: Turkish
word: koku almak
lang: Ukrainian
word: ню́хати
roman: njúxaty
lang: Ukrainian
word: чу́яти
roman: čújaty
lang: Ukrainian
word: чу́ти
roman: čúty
lang: Urdu
word: سُونگْھنا
roman: sūnghnā
lang: Vietnamese
word: ngửi
lang: Welsh
word: arogli
lang: Woiwurrung
word: ngarroba
lang: Yiddish
word: שמעקן
roman: shmekn
lang: Zazaki
word: boy kerden
lang: Zealandic
word: ruke
lang: Zyphe
word: hnang
lang: ǃXóõ
word: ta̰ã
lang: Ao
word: menem
lang: Arabic
word: شَمَّمَ
roman: šammama
lang: Armenian
word: հոտ արձակել
roman: hot arjakel
lang: Armenian
word: հոտ ունենալ
roman: hot unenal
lang: Armenian
word: բուրել
roman: burel
lang: Azerbaijani
word: qoxumaq
lang: Azerbaijani
word: iyi gəlmək
lang: Azerbaijani
word: qoxulanmaq
lang: Belarusian
word: па́хнуць
roman: páxnucʹ
lang: Catalan
word: fer olor de
lang: Cherokee
word: ᎠᏒᎦ
roman: asvga
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 發出氣味 /发出气味
roman: fāchū qìwèi
lang: Choctaw
word: bʋlama
lang: Czech
word: vonět
lang: Czech
word: být cítit
lang: Czech
word: páchnout
lang: Danish
word: dufte
lang: Danish
word: stinke
lang: Dutch
word: geuren
lang: Dutch
word: stinken
lang: Esperanto
word: odori
lang: Estonian
word: lõhnama
lang: Finnish
word: tuoksua
lang: Finnish
word: haista
lang: Finnish
word: löyhkätä
lang: Finnish
word: lemuta
lang: Finnish
word: döfätä
lang: French
word: exhaler
lang: French
word: fleurer
lang: Georgian
word: სუნის დენა
roman: sunis dena
lang: German
word: stinken
lang: Ancient Greek
word: ὄζω
roman: ózō
lang: Greek
word: ὄσδω
roman: ósdō
lang: Hindi
word: गँधाना
roman: gandhānā
lang: Hindi
word: महँकना
roman: mahãknā
lang: Hungarian
word: illatozik
lang: Hungarian
word: bűzlik
lang: Hungarian
word: szagú
lang: Hungarian
word: illatú
lang: Hungarian
word: … szaga van
lang: Hungarian
word: … illata van
lang: Icelandic
word: lykta
lang: Ido
word: odorar
lang: Indonesian
word: berbau
lang: Ingrian
word: haissa
lang: Ingrian
word: hajahtaa
lang: Italian
word: odorare
lang: Japanese
word: 匂う
roman: niou
lang: Javanese
word: mambu
lang: Kazakh
word: аңку
roman: añku
lang: Kazakh
word: иістену
roman: iıstenu
lang: Kazakh
word: иіс шығу
roman: iıs şyğu
lang: Khmer
word: ក្លិនល្អ
roman: klən l’ɑɑ
lang: Khmer
word: ក្លិនក្រអូប
roman: klən krɑ’oop
lang: Khmer
word: ក្លិនមិនល្អ
roman: klən mɨn l’ɑɑ
lang: Khmer
word: ក្លិនអាក្រក់
roman: klən aakrɑk
lang: Khmer
word: ធុំ
roman: thum
lang: Korean
word: 냄새가 나다
roman: naemsae-ga nada
lang: Central Kurdish
word: بۆن
roman: bon
lang: Kyrgyz
word: жыттануу
roman: jıttanuu
lang: Latin
word: oleō
lang: Latin
word: fragrō
lang: Māori
word: konakona
lang: Marshallese
word: bwiin
lang: Navajo
word: honishchin
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: stinke
lang: Old English
word: stincan
lang: Iranian Persian
word: بو دَاشْتَن
roman: bu dâštan
lang: Polish
word: pachnieć
lang: Polish
word: wonieć
lang: Quechua
word: q'apay
lang: Romansh
word: savurar da
lang: Russian
word: па́хнуть
roman: páxnutʹ
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: дишати
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: dišati
lang: Slovak
word: voňať
lang: Slovak
word: páchnuť
lang: Slovene
word: vonjati
lang: Slovene
word: dišati
lang: Lower Sorbian
word: wónjaś
lang: Upper Sorbian
word: wonjeć
lang: Swedish
word: dofta
lang: Swedish
word: stinka
lang: Tajik
word: бӯй додан
roman: büy dodan
lang: Tajik
word: бӯй омадан
roman: büy omadan
lang: Thai
word: มีกลิ่น
roman: mii glìn
lang: Turkish
word: kokmak
lang: Turkmen
word: yslamak
lang: Ukrainian
word: па́хнути
roman: páxnuty
lang: Ulwa (Nicaragua)
word: wingnaka
lang: Uzbek
word: hid chiqarmoq
lang: Uzbek
word: is chiqarmoq
lang: Vietnamese
word: có mùi
lang: Zazaki
word: boy amayen
lang: Zealandic
word: stienke