Meaning & use
deodorising
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“deodorising” is a form of “deodorise”.
Meanings
verbtransitiveBritish
Removing or covering an unpleasant smell from a place, object or body.
Grammar: The -ing form of deodorise; takes an object: deodorising the fridge.
Patterns
- deodorising something
- deodorising something with something
She spent the afternoon deodorising the fridge with baking soda.
Deodorising old shoes is easier when you leave them in the sun.
He is deodorising the car after the long trip.
adjectivebefore a nounBritish
Used to take away or hide bad smells.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a deodorising spray.
Patterns
- a deodorising spray
- deodorising effect
She bought a deodorising spray for the bathroom.
The deodorising effect of the charcoal lasted for weeks.
A deodorising powder helped with the damp smell.
Word forms
| base form | deodorise |
|---|---|
| past tense | deodorised |
| American spelling | deodorizing |
Common combinations
- deodorising spray
- A deodorising spray hung by the door.
- deodorising the carpet
- They are deodorising the carpet with baking soda.
- deodorising shoes
- Deodorising shoes after sport helps prevent bad smells.
- deodorising effect
- The tablets have a strong deodorising effect.
- deodorising products
- The shop sells deodorising products for pets.
Synonyms and how they differ
- freshening
- Freshening is gentler and may only add a nice scent, while deodorising stresses removing the bad smell.
- cleansing
- Cleansing usually means cleaning dirt, not just dealing with smell.
- disinfecting
- Disinfecting kills germs, which may or may not remove the odor.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: deodorising or deodorant?
deodorising vs deodorant
A deodorant is a product, usually for the body. Deodorising is the action of removing a smell.
Practice
After the picnic, we spent an hour ___ the cooler to get rid of the fish smell.
Choose one answer.
Deodorising means removing a smell. Decorating sounds similar but is about making something look attractive.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “deodorising”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.