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⇱ smell - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

smell

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈsmɛl/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/smɛl/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(smel)

Inflections of 'smell' (v): (⇒ conjugate)
The past form "smelt" is mainly used in UK English. It is correct in US English, but rare.
smells
v 3rd person singular
smelling
v pres p
smelled
v past (US & UK)
smelt
v past (Mainly UK)
smelled
v past p (US & UK)
smelt
v past p (Mainly UK)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
smell /smɛl/USA pronunciation   v., smelled or smelt/smɛlt/USA pronunciation  smell•ing, n. 
v. 
  1. to detect the odor of (something) through the nose;
    inhale the odor of something: [~ + object]He smelled the flowers in the garden.[not: be + ~-ing;
    no object]    Because he had a bad head cold he could hardly smell.
  2. [not: be + ~-ing] to give off or have an odor:These flowers don't smell at all.
  3. to have a certain odor or scent: [~ + of/like + object][not: be + ~-ing]The whole house smelled of smoke.[~ + adjective]The room smelled bad.
  4. Physiology to give out a strong or offensive odor;
    stink:[not: be + ~-ing;
    no object]    Whew, that fish really smells!
  5. to test by the sense of smell:[~ + object]He smelled the meat to see if it was fresh.
  6. to detect by cleverness:[not: be + ~-ing;~ + object]The detective smelled foul play.
  7. to have a trace or suggestion:[not: be + ~-ing;~ + of + object]This smells of foul play.
  8. Informal Termsto be of inferior quality;
    stink:[not: be + ~-ing;
    no object]    Your team really smells!
  9. smell out, [~ + object] to look for by or as if by smelling:The newspaper reporter could smell out a story from just a hint of trouble.
  10. smell up, to fill with an offensive odor;
    stink up: [~ + up + object]Her perfume was smelling up the whole room.[~ + object + up]to smell it up.

n. 
  1. Physiology the sense of being able to detect something with the nose:[uncountable]the sense of smell.
  2. that quality of a thing that is or may be smelled:[countable]The fish has a pretty strong smell.
  3. an act or instance of smelling:[countable]Give this a smell and tell me if it's still fresh.
  4. a trace or suggestion:[countable]a smell of danger.
  5. an appearance, character, or quality that seems to be all around a thing:[countable]the sweet smell of success.
Idioms
  1. Idioms smell a rat, to suspect that something is wrong:He smelled a rat when he saw her sneaking through the back door.


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
smell  (smel),USA pronunciation v., smelled or smelt, smell•ing, n. 
v.t. 
  1. to perceive the odor or scent of through the nose by means of the olfactory nerves;
    inhale the odor of:I smell something burning.
  2. to test by the sense of smell:She smelled the meat to see if it was fresh.
  3. to perceive, detect, or discover by shrewdness or sagacity:The detective smelled foul play.

v.i. 
  1. Physiologyto perceive something by its odor or scent.
  2. to search or investigate (fol. by around or about).
  3. to give off or have an odor or scent:Do the yellow roses smell?
  4. Physiologyto give out an offensive odor;
    stink.
  5. to have a particular odor (fol. by of ):My hands smell of fish.
  6. to have a trace or suggestion (fol. by of ).
  7. Informal Termsto be of inferior quality;
    stink:The play is good, but the direction smells.
  8. Informal Termsto have the appearance or a suggestion of guilt or corruption:They may be honest, but the whole situation smells.
  9. smell a rat. See rat (def. 6).
  10. smell out, to look for or detect as if by smelling;
    search out:to smell out enemy spies.
  11. smell up, to fill with an offensive odor;
    stink up:The garbage smelled up the yard.

n. 
  1. Physiologythe sense of smell;
    faculty of smelling.
  2. the quality of a thing that is or may be smelled;
    odor;
    scent.
  3. a trace or suggestion.
  4. an act or instance of smelling.
  5. a pervading appearance, character, quality, or influence:the smell of money.
  • ?
  • early Middle English smell, smull (noun, nominal), smellen, smullen (verb, verbal) 1125–75
smell′a•ble, adj. 
smell′-less, adj. 
    16. See odor. 
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
smell /smɛl/ vb (smells, smelling, smelt, smelled)
  1. (transitive) to perceive the scent or odour of (a substance) by means of the olfactory nerves
  2. (copula) to have a specified smell; appear to the sense of smell to be: the beaches smell of seaweed, some tobacco smells very sweet
  3. (intransitive) often followed by of: to emit an odour (of): the park smells of flowers
  4. (intransitive) to emit an unpleasant odour; stink
  5. (transitive) often followed by out: to detect through shrewdness or instinct
  6. (intransitive) to have or use the sense of smell; sniff
  7. (intransitive) followed by of: to give indications (of): he smells of money
  8. (intransitive; followed by around, about, etc) to search, investigate, or pry
  9. (copula) to be or seem to be untrustworthy or corrupt
 n
  1. that sense (olfaction) by which scents or odours are perceived
    Related adjective(s): olfactory
  2. anything detected by the sense of smell; odour; scent
  3. a trace or indication
  4. the act or an instance of smelling
Etymology: 12th Century: of uncertain origin; compare Middle Dutch smölen to scorchˈsmeller n
'smell' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Collocations: a [fruity, flowery, sweet, musty, gassy] smell, smells [good, nice, bad, sweet, disgusting], a [pungent, powerful, strong, lingering] smell, more...

Forum discussions with the word(s) "smell" in the title:

'were able to smell'?
(judging) by the smell of
(the) smell of + plural noun or singular noun ?
a bad smell on my breath
a cloying smell that could be all but worn
a fresh, wild, lonely smell
a lingering smell
a red smell
a smell almost like crisp hay
a smell in the air
a smell in the hall like the interior of a clock
a smell <to> it
a strong smell of gas
Acknowledge the smell
<all> X <all> seem/appear/look/sound/feel/smell/taste <all> like CLAUSE
an acid taste/smell
Animal Smell (plural vs singular)
awful, unpleasant smell?
bright glass- smell of incense in cold stone
burning smell vs burned smell
burnt food smell
Burnt vs. burning smell
but by the final reel, inspiration is often replaced by rote—or the smell of fear
Can I say "catch a smell of the cake", meaning "smell the scent of the cake"?
Can I say: I smell a perfume in your dress
Can you smell (the) paint?
Can you smell paint?
Can you smell what smell it is
carbona smell
cartwheel pennies that made your hands smell
more...

Look up "smell" at Merriam-Webster
Look up "smell" at dictionary.com
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