malodorous

adjective

ˌmal-ˈō-də-rəs How to pronounce malodorous (audio)
Definition of malodorousnext
as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell the cellar will need to be cleared of several malodorous piles of garbage

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word malodorous distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of malodorous are fetid, fusty, musty, noisome, putrid, rank, and stinking. While all these words mean "bad-smelling," malodorous may range from the unpleasant to the strongly offensive.

malodorous fertilizers

How do fusty and musty relate to one another, in the sense of malodorous?

Both fusty and musty suggest lack of fresh air and sunlight, fusty also implying prolonged uncleanliness, musty stressing the effects of dampness, mildew, or age.

a fusty attic
the musty odor of a damp cellar

In what contexts can noisome take the place of malodorous?

The synonyms noisome and malodorous are sometimes interchangeable, but noisome adds a suggestion of being harmful or unwholesome as well as offensive.

a stagnant, noisome sewer

When can putrid be used instead of malodorous?

The words putrid and malodorous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, putrid implies particularly the sickening odor of decaying organic matter.

the putrid smell of rotting fish

When would rank be a good substitute for malodorous?

In some situations, the words rank and malodorous are roughly equivalent. However, rank suggests a strong unpleasant smell.

rank cigar smoke

How are the words stinking and fetid related as synonyms of malodorous?

Both stinking and fetid suggest the foul or disgusting.

prisoners were held in stinking cells
the fetid odor of skunk cabbage

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of malodorous However, these newer deodorants marketed as whole-body deodorants often do a good job at deodorizing the areas that create malodorous smells. — ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026 Democrats are an eye-watering 26 points underwater while Republicans are a more mildly malodorous 11 points beneath the surface. — Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 17 Oct. 2025 Midsummer is usually when sargassum, the floating seaweed that often washes up in malodorous piles on Florida beaches, starts to wane. — Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025 Callery pear and Bradford pear trees are considered malodorous, according to the Spruce, a home and garden site. — Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for malodorous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malodorous
  1. stinking
  2. ripe
  3. fetid
  4. smelly
  5. foul
  6. stinky
  7. disgusting
  8. filthy
Adjective
  • For this argument Thomasine was jailed—stuffed into a damp, stinking, deadly stone cell crawling with rats and lice—to force her to change her beliefs.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.
    — Mary Ellen Klas, Boston Herald, 1 June 2026
Definition of stinking
Adjective
  • Measures Of Success Going deeper than ratings or viewing time is key to identifying classic IP that is ripe for relaunch or reinvention.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Rioting, looting and chaos provide Marine Le Pen and her National Rally party with issues ripe for a campaign focused on immigration and public disorder.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of ripe
Adjective
  • However, the Mariners play in the AL West, a fetid swamp of baseball disappointment.
    — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The Lineage warehouse fire, which erupted a mile away nearly two months ago, still blankets the church every morning with the fetid stench of millions of pounds of rotting food that have yet to be trucked away.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of fetid
Adjective
  • Westminster’s smelly and musty water is still safe to drink, city officials said.
    — Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The duo wants to be there for the good, the bad, and the questionably smelly while sprinkling some happy-go-lucky magic over all of it.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of smelly
Adjective
  • The bodies of Machado and her daughters were discovered days later after a neighbor noticed a foul odor coming from the home.
    — CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Caminero pulled Smith’s first-pitch splitter off the left-field foul pole for a two-run homer that gave the Rays a 5-1 lead.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of foul
Adjective
  • Stop at Callicoon Wine Merchant for a bottle paired with a stinky cheese on their sunny patio.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026
  • These repellents are made of stinky smells and bad flavors that deer do not like, like potassium sorbate, whole egg solids, thyme oil, garlic, and sodium lauryl sulfate.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of stinky
Adjective
  • Comparing the administration's fight to protect women and women's spaces from males to rape, is utterly disgusting and actually devalues those atrocities and crimes against actual women.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The squad has not been beefed up at all after a shameful and disgusting transfer window.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • There are several different subtypes of New York City Restaurant, from the humble old-timers (Katz’s, Nom Wah) to the temples of filthy lucre (Bemelmans, Rao’s).
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The invention’s intent was to cut down on distracted driving — in addition to the frustration of digging around under filthy car seats.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of filthy

Browse Nearby Words

malodor
malodorous
malodorousness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Malodorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malodorous. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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