smell
To sense a smell or smellsTo sense a smell or smells.
» This fish has a bad smell.
Dieser Fisch riecht schlecht.
Ця рибра погано пахне.
Meaning
7 senses(transitive)To sense a smell or smells.
I can smell fresh bread.
Smell the milk and tell me whether it's gone off.
smell bad
To sense a smell or smells.
(broadly, transitive)To detect or perceive; often with out.
riechen
чу́вствовать за́пахčúvstvovatʹ zápax, ощуща́ть за́пахoščuščátʹ zápax, обоня́тьobonjátʹ
ню́хатиnjúxaty, чу́ятиčújaty, чу́тиčúty
(copulative, intransitive)Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad.
The roses smell lovely.
Her feet smell of cheese.
Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad.
(broadly, copulative, intransitive)To smell of; to have a smell of
have an element suggestive (of something)
(copulative, intransitive)To smell bad; to stink.
Ew, this restroom smells (loathsomely).
(copulative, figuratively, intransitive)To have a particular tincture or smack of any quality; to savour.
A report smells of calumny.
(obsolete)To give heed to.
Examples
1760 sentencesThis fish has a bad smell.
Ця рибра погано пахне.
deDieser Fisch riecht schlecht.
You smell like a wet dog.
Ти пахнеш вологим собакою.
ruОт тебя пахнет мокрой псиной.
Pretty flowers do not necessarily smell sweet.
Гарні квіти не обов'язково солодко пахнуть.
ruКрасивые цветы не обязательно сладко пахнут.
deHübsche Blumen duften nicht unbedingt süß.
I have a good sense of smell.
У мене гарне почуття нюху.
ruУ меня хорошо развито обоняние.
I like the way you smell.
Мені подобається, як ти пахнеш.
ruМне нравится, как ты пахнешь.
Translations
9 languagesBy meaning 2
By meaning 2
By meaning 1
Origin
From Middle English smellen, smillen, smyllen, smullen, from Old English *smyllan, *smiellFrom Middle English smellen, smillen, smyllen, smullen, from Old English *smyllan, *smiellan (“to smell, emit fumes”), from Proto-West Germanic *smallijan (“to glow, burn, smoulder”), from Proto-Indo-European *smel- (“to burn, smoke, smoulder; tar, pitch”). The noun is from Middle English smel, smil, smul (“smell, odour”). Related to Saterland Frisian smeele (“to smoulder”), Middle Dutch smōlen (“to burn, smoulder”) (whence Dutch smeulen (“to smoulder”)), Middle Low German smölen (“to be hazy, be dusty”) (whence Low German smölen (“smoulder”)), Low German smullen (“emit smoke”), West Flemish smoel (“stuffy, muggy, hazy”), Danish smul (“dust, powder”), Lithuanian smilkyti (“to incense, fumigate”), Lithuanian smilkti (“to smudge, smolder, fume, reek”), Lithuanian smalkinti (“to fume”), Middle Irish smál, smól, smúal (“fire, gleed, embers, ashes”), Russian смола́ (smolá, “resin, tar”). Compare smoulder, smother.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
smells, smelling, smelled, smelledPhrasal verbs
2 phrasal verbsSynonyms
8 synonymsWord family
24 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, irregular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
Collocations
12 patterns- the smell of
- smells like
- smell something burning
- smell something
- sense of smell
- like the smell
- smells like a
- smells bad
- smells musty
- smell smoke
- smells good
- smelled really bad