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
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Superb red snapper with herb butter, mushroom ravioli, peas and steamed asparagus was a little overloaded, but a branzino fillet dusted with summer’s fragrant herbs came with roasted delicata squash and potatoes moistened with olive oil.—John Mariani, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025 Named after the Italian island of Capri, a Caprese salad is composed of just a few key ingredients: ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and fragrant basil, drizzled with olive oil and lightly seasoned with salt and black pepper.—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 16 July 2025 The classic combination of salty cheese, fragrant basil, toasted pine nuts, and snappy olive oil is undeniably loveable.—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 July 2025 Most moon gardens are small, with fragrant plants grown both in-ground and container-grown.—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 19 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for fragrant
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin fragrant-, fragrans, from present participle of fragrare to be fragrant
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