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Definition of smell noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

smell

noun
 
 
/smel/
 
/smel/
Idioms
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  1.  
     [countable, uncountable] the quality of something that people and animals sense through their noses
    • a sweet/pleasant smell
    • a foul/pungent/musty smell
    • the air fresheners that we use to cover up unpleasant smells
    • smell of something a faint/strong smell of garlic
    • an acrid smell of smoke
    • There was a smell of burning in the air.
    • I love the smell of freshly baked bread.
    • The air is heavy with the smell of rain and moist vegetation.
    • smell from something The smells from the kitchen filled the room.
    Vocabulary Building SmellsSmellsDescribing smellsThese adjectives describe pleasant smells:
    • scented candles
    • aromatic oils
    • fragrant perfume
    • sweet-smelling flowers
    To describe unpleasant smells you can use:
    • smelly cheese
    • stinking fish
    • musty old books
    • acrid smoke
    Types of smellPleasant smells:
    • the rich aroma of fresh coffee
    • a herb with a delicate fragrance
    • a rose’s sweet perfume
    • the scent of wild flowers
    Unpleasant smells:
    • nasty household odours
    • the stench of rotting meat
    • the stink of stale sweat
    • the reek of beer and tobacco
    Extra Examples
    • A delicious smell of freshly baked bread wafted across the lawn.
    • An acrid smell filled the air.
    • As she walked into the house she detected the smell of gas.
    • Fragrance dispensers are designed to mask unpleasant smells.
    • The air was filled with a pervasive smell of chemicals.
    • The cottage had a musty smell after being shut up over the winter.
    • The faint smell of her perfume hung in the air.
    • The sights, sounds and smells of Delhi stunned me.
    • The skunk gives off an unpleasant smell when attacked.
    • Then the pungent smell hit us—rotting fish and seaweed.
    • There was an overpowering smell of burning rubber.
    • the aromatic smells of a spring garden full of herbs
    • the putrid smell from the slaughterhouse
    • the smell of smoke
    • the sour smell of unwashed linen
    • the sweet smell of roses
    • Do you like the smell of coffee?
    • The smell of burning stubble drifted through the air.
    • There was an unmistakable smell of alcohol on his breath.
    • Wonderful cooking smells were coming from the kitchen.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • overpowering
    • pervasive
    • pungent
    • …
    verb + smell
    • be filled with
    • have
    • give off
    • …
    smell + verb
    • come
    • drift
    • emanate
    • …
    preposition
    • smell from
    • smell of
    phrases
    • sense of smell
    • the sights, sounds and smells of…
    See full entry
  2.  
     [singular] an unpleasant smell
    • What's that smell?
    • Yuk! What a smell!
    • See if you can get rid of the smell.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • overpowering
    • pervasive
    • pungent
    • …
    verb + smell
    • be filled with
    • have
    • give off
    • …
    smell + verb
    • come
    • drift
    • emanate
    • …
    preposition
    • smell from
    • smell of
    phrases
    • sense of smell
    • the sights, sounds and smells of…
    See full entry
  3.  
     [uncountable] the ability to sense things with the nose
    • Dogs have a very good sense of smell.
    • Taste and smell are closely connected.
  4. [countable] the act of smelling something synonym sniff
    • He took one smell of the liquid and his eyes began to water.
    5. Word OriginMiddle English: of unknown origin.
Idioms
the sweet smell of success
  1. (informal) the pleasant feeling of being successfulTopics Successc2
See smell in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee smell in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: smell

Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
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