stench

Meanings

Noun

• a strong foul smell; a stink.
• A foul quality.
• A smell or odour, not necessarily bad.

Verb

• To cause to emit a disagreeable odour; to cause to stink.
• To stanch.

Related

Similar words

• stink, pong

Opposite words

• aroma, fragrance, perfume

Origin

• 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, Danish stank ("stench"), Swedish stank ("stench"), Icelandic stækja ("stench").