odiferous

Having strong smell

Odiferous means giving off an odor or smell, though in practice it almost always describes unpleasant ones.

The word is a slightly pretentious alternative to smelly or stinky, sometimes used for comic effect: The odiferous garbage had been sitting in the sun for days.

The more standard spelling is odoriferous, with odiferous being a common variant that some consider an error.

unpleasant

fetid

Having foul odor

  • putridDecomposed and foul-smelling
  • rankPosition in hierarchy
  • foulOffensive or illegal

stinking · reeking · noisome · stench · rotten · decaying · rancid · sour · musty · moldy

intense

overpowering

Too intense to withstand

heavy · concentrated · pervasive · wafting · penetrating · enveloping · cloying · suffocating · lingering · diffusing

pleasant

fragrant

Emitting pleasant smell

sweet-smelling · ambrosial · redolent · floral · bouquet · jasmine · lavender · rosemary · sandalwood · incense

pungent

sharp

Fine-edged, or astute

  • acridUnpleasantly sharp-smelling
  • bitingHarshly critical or cold
  • tangySharp and lively-tasting

piquant · zesty · peppery · ammonia · vinegar · mustard · horseradish · wasabi · onion · garlic

Opposites
presence of smell

odiferousscentless

Without any aroma

odorless · unscented · inodorous · smell-free · deodorized

pleasantness of smell

odiferousfragrant

Emitting pleasant smell

sweet-smelling · aromatic · perfumed · fresh · redolent

Family

odor, deodorant, odorous, deodorize, malodorous, deodorized, odors, odoriferous, deodorants

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated G