stench

noun

1
: stink
2
: a characteristic repugnant quality
stenchful adjective
stenchy adjective

Examples of stench in a Sentence

the stench of rotting meat we finally discovered the dead rat that was causing the stench in the basement
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.
Vape clouds are more readily concealed than the stench of cigarette smoke. Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 1 Aug. 2025 Adding to the stench was an apparently plentiful amount of manure, which was regularly left there by pigs digging through the soil of the execution site in search of edible scraps. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2025 Greater Boston communities at the center of the ongoing sanitation worker strike are taking Republic Services to court, seeking immediate relief as trash piles mount, attracting rats and giving off a sickening stench. Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 17 July 2025 The kitty house of horrors came to light on Saturday, when a Bohemia Fire Department hazmat team was called in to investigate an ammonia stench emanating from the home. Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 5 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for stench

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English stenc; akin to Old English stincan to emit a smell — more at stink

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stench was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stench.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stench. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

stench

noun
: a very disagreeable smell : stink sense 1

More from Merriam-Webster on stench

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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