Meaning & use

smell

noun·Everyday

The quality of something that can be detected by the nose, or the sense used to detect it.

See it in a sentence

The smell of fresh bread drifted through the entire bakery.

Dogs rely heavily on smell to recognize people and other animals.

A note on using this word

"Smell" as a verb can mean both to detect an odor and to give off one, so context decides the direction.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

To give off a particular odor, or to detect one using the nose.

The whole kitchen smelled wonderfully of garlic and roasted tomatoes.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “smell”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.