odorous applies to whatever has a strong distinctive smell whether pleasant or unpleasant.
odorous cheeses should be tightly wrapped
fragrant applies to things (such as flowers or spices) with sweet or agreeable odors.
a fragrant rose
redolent applies usually to a place or thing impregnated with odors.
the kitchen was redolent of garlic and tomatoes
aromatic applies to things emitting pungent often fresh odors.
an aromatic blend of tobaccos
Examples of fragrant in a Sentence
The soup was fragrant with herbs and spices.
the balsam fir is a favorite as a Christmas tree because it is so fragrant
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The bright fragrant baking spice from Angostura Bitters is replaced with the deep earth of the Cynar whose bitterness brings a constant low hum, like engine noise on an airplane.—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 14 Feb. 2026 Ulla Johnson‘s show notes on Friday got a fragrant accompaniment.—James Manso, Footwear News, 14 Feb. 2026 Yet its polarizing effect may be the key to its magnetism; even those who dislike it have certainly absorbed some of its fragrant dolorousness into their bones.—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 13 Feb. 2026 Vanilla extract adds a wonderful fragrant quality to this rice pudding.—Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 13 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fragrant
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin fragrant-, fragrans, from present participle of fragrare to be fragrant