1
as in smelly
having an unpleasant smell
came home from their trip to find stinking garbage that had been left in the kitchen
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drunk
slang
being under the influence of alcohol
warned her husband not to come home stinking—or he'd be sleeping on the couch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in damn
to a great degree
a huge, showy house that screams, "We're stinking rich!"
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stinking
Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2019
Muttaiah said the man inside the stinking manhole was working without any safety equipment — no gloves, no shoes, no supplemental oxygen.
—Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2019
GothamGetty Images Aren't expectant parents Jenna Dewan and Steve Kazee just so stinking cute?
—Emily Dixon, Marie Claire, 3 Dec. 2019
Second, the Huskies covered the spread as the favorite one stinking time?
—Mike Anthony, courant.com, 29 Aug. 2019
The area included a stinking heap: years of goat dung in layers up to a foot thick.
—Michael Greshko, National Geographic, 28 Aug. 2019
Man, that’s one crazy set of numbers, not to mention a stinking pile of horse manure, as the two long-revered defenders continue to make one sensational play after another . .
—Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, 19 July 2019
But his mechanics were already pretty stinking good.
—Robert Klemko, SI.com, 15 July 2019
Eventually, more fat, oil, and grease congeal onto the mess and build up into giant stinking globs.
—National Geographic, 16 Aug. 2017
Adjective
This is about a team with a top-10 payroll whose GM committed too stinking much of it to dogs that can’t, or won’t, pull the sled.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2019
Muttaiah said the man inside the stinking manhole was working without any safety equipment — no gloves, no shoes, no supplemental oxygen.
—Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2019
GothamGetty Images Aren't expectant parents Jenna Dewan and Steve Kazee just so stinking cute?
—Emily Dixon, Marie Claire, 3 Dec. 2019
Second, the Huskies covered the spread as the favorite one stinking time?
—Mike Anthony, courant.com, 29 Aug. 2019
The area included a stinking heap: years of goat dung in layers up to a foot thick.
—Michael Greshko, National Geographic, 28 Aug. 2019
Man, that’s one crazy set of numbers, not to mention a stinking pile of horse manure, as the two long-revered defenders continue to make one sensational play after another . .
—Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, 19 July 2019
But his mechanics were already pretty stinking good.
—Robert Klemko, SI.com, 15 July 2019
Eventually, more fat, oil, and grease congeal onto the mess and build up into giant stinking globs.
—National Geographic, 16 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stinking
Adjective
-
Words for different smells, or things that are smelly.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
-
The vibes and smelly stuff were abundant and people were going home happy.—
jsonline.com,
jsonline.com,
5 July 2025
Adjective
-
For years across social media, fans have been convinced that the cast of Mamma Mia! were drunk on set due to ouzo, a Greek aperitif.—
Francesca Gariano,
People.com,
19 July 2025
-
The crash occurred about 2½ years after Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III drove drunk at speeds up to 156 mph on a Las Vegas street and caused a fiery collision that killed a woman and her dog on Nov. 2, 2021.—
Cristian Santana,
NBC news,
17 July 2025
Verb
-
Directed by Robert Eggers, the gothic horror film sees newlyweds Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) and Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) haunted by the treacherous, blood-sucking Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard).—
EW.com,
EW.com,
30 Dec. 2024
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This time around, even critics were convinced, joining in with libidinous fans to praise the blood-sucking second season, which was recently nominated for two Critics Choice Awards after being largely snubbed by voting bodies last year.—
Elaina Patton,
NBC News,
27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Officers responding to reports of a possible drunken driver at a Petaluma gas station found the black Kia Sol about three minutes before the crash on a nearby road and tried to pull it over, police said.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
21 July 2025
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The crash happened at about 10:15 p.m. Saturday after authorities received a report of a possible drunken driver at a gas station on Lakeville Highway, according to the Santa Rosa and Petaluma police departments.—
Gary Klien,
Mercury News,
21 July 2025
Adverb
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The car scenes are rough, authentic, and often deeply compelling — mainly because the fresh-faced Bridges is so damned charismatic.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
-
While Nintendo mostly conceded the corporate tug-of-war over graphical prowess back in 2006 with the Wii, the general plateau of visual enhancements over the last two generations means that games running on Switch 2 look pretty damned good even compared to more premium devices.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
Deep in the forest, the air whips by cold and fast and smelling of redwoods.—
Nick Czap,
Robb Report,
26 Dec. 2024
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Especially when that includes boarding a Christmastime caboose brimming with holiday decor, smelling hot cocoa wafting through the cars, and enjoying plenty of picturesque views.—
Perri Ormont Blumberg Fox News,
Fox News,
26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The foul was upgraded to a flagrant foul penalty 2, resulting in an automatic ejection for Banks.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
21 July 2025
-
The other is a red panda named Bad Rudi with a penchant for foul language.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
16 July 2025
Adjective
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The teams and drivers will face tough decisions about whether to use intermediate or wet tires for the start of the race.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
-
The Humane Society suggests serving cats wet food over the summer to further increase their hydration.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stinking. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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