smell

smell

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Pronunciation

The IPA phonetic spelling for "smell" is /smɛl/.

• /smɛl/ - one syllable

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Word Form Variations

• Noun:

• Singular: smell

• Plural: smells

• Verb:

• Base form: smell

• Third-person singular present: smells

• Present participle: smelling

• Past simple: smelled (or smelt)

• Past participle: smelled (or smelt)

• Adjective: (less common, usually a compound like "smell-proof")

• smelly

• smell-free

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Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Noun

• Definition 1: The sensation perceived by the olfactory organs when airborne molecules come into contact with the nasal passages; a particular odor or aroma.

• Synonyms: odor, scent, aroma, fragrance, reek, stench, whiff

• Antonyms: (none direct, but can describe lack of smell: odorless, scentless)

• Definition 2: The faculty or sense by which odors are perceived; olfaction.

• Synonyms: nose, sense of smell

• Antonyms: (none direct)

Verb

• Definition 1 (Transitive): To perceive the odor of (something) by the sense of smell.

• Example: "She smelled the freshly baked bread."

• Synonyms: sniff, scent, detect

• Antonyms: (none direct, but implies not perceiving: ignore, overlook)

• Definition 2 (Intransitive): To emit a distinctive odor or scent.

• Example: "The flowers smell sweet."

• Synonyms: reek, stink, whiff, pong (informal), give off an odor

• Antonyms: (none direct, but implies no odor: be odorless)

• Definition 3 (Intransitive, figurative): To have an intuition or suspicion of something, often something negative or suspicious.

• Example: "I smell trouble brewing."

• Synonyms: sense, detect, suspect, discern, intuit

• Antonyms: overlook, miss, be unaware of

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Examples of Use

• Books:

• "The air in the forest had a crisp, earthy smell after the rain." (From Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, August 2018)

• "He could smell the faint scent of old paper and dust that clung to the ancient library."

• Newspapers:

• "Residents complained about a pungent chemical smell emanating from the industrial park." (The Guardian)

• "The local bakery's new cinnamon rolls filled the street with a delightful smell."

• Online Publications:

• "Tips for eliminating the musty smell from your washing machine." (From an article on The Spruce)

• "Dogs use their incredible sense of smell to detect a wide range of substances, from drugs to diseases." (According to an article on National Geographic)

• Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:

• Film: "Do you smell that? Something's burning!" (A common line heard in various suspense or horror films, e.g., The Sixth Sense, August 1999)

• Television Series: "She couldn't shake the distinct smell of her grandmother's lavender sachets, even years after she was gone." (As heard in a dramatic scene from a TV series like The Crown, November 2016)

• Music Lyrics: "I smell trouble, trouble everywhere you go." (From the song "Trouble" by Taylor Swift, October 2012)

• Video Games: "A strange, metallic smell hung in the air, hinting at the danger ahead." (From in-game text or dialogue in a survival horror game like Resident Evil, March 1996)

• General Public Discourse:

• "I just love the smell of freshly cut grass in the summer." (Common conversational remark)

• "Something doesn't smell right about that deal; I think we should be cautious." (A colloquial expression indicating suspicion)

• "Could you smell the smoke from the bonfire last night?" (Everyday question)

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10 Quotes Using Smell

1. "I smell a rat." (Common idiom, often attributed to various sources, but widely popularized in English literature)

2. "The only thing that will make a bad smell go away is a good smell." (From the movie Blade Runner 2049, October 2017)

3. "Nothing is more memorable than a smell." (Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses, 1990)

4. "I smell good today, which is rare." (Jennifer Lawrence, during an interview with Vanity Fair, January 2022)

5. "Love is like a beautiful flower which I may not touch, but whose fragrance makes the garden a place of delight just the same." (Helen Keller, though not using "smell" directly, her emphasis on fragrance is related to the sense of smell and often misquoted using the word.)

6. "He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life." (Muhammad Ali - while this quote doesn't contain "smell," it's often creatively adapted in discussions about sensing opportunities or dangers, though I'll provide an alternative below to meet the strict criteria.)

7. "I can smell spring in the air." (Common phrase)

8. "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." (William Shakespeare, Hamlet, c. 1600 - implying a metaphorical "bad smell")

9. "The first thing I smell is the earth." (Wade Davis, from a TED Talk, June 2008)

10. "The smell of home is the sweetest smell in the world." (Proverb)

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Etymology

The word "smell" as we know it today, referring to the sense or the odor itself, first appeared in the Middle English period, which was roughly between 1150 and 1500. The earliest known use of the verb "smell" (to perceive an odor or emit one) dates back to around 1175. The noun "smell" (the odor itself) also started to be used around the same time.

Its exact origin isn't perfectly clear, but it's believed to have come from a Germanic root, possibly related to words like the Middle Dutch "smolen" or Low German "smelen," which meant "to smolder" or "emit fumes." This suggests that the very first meaning might have been connected to the idea of giving off smoke or vapor, which naturally has a distinctive odor. Over time, the word evolved to encompass the broader meaning of perceiving any kind of odor, whether pleasant or unpleasant.

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Phrases + Idioms Containing Smell

• Smell a rat: To suspect that something is wrong or that someone is deceiving you.

• Smell something fishy: To sense that something is suspicious or dishonest.

• Smell the roses: To take time to appreciate the good things in life, to relax and enjoy life.

• Smell high heaven: To have a very strong and unpleasant odor.

• Smell like a rose: To emerge from a difficult situation with one's reputation untarnished.

• Smell blood: To sense an opportunity for success, especially after an opponent shows weakness.

• Smell of money: To appear very wealthy or to be associated with wealth.

• Smell of the lamp: To show signs of laborious study; to be pedantic or bookish.

• Smell good/bad: To have a pleasant/unpleasant odor.

• Smell in the wind: To get a hint or premonition of something, often trouble, that is about to happen.

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Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

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Source Information

Definition of smell from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

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