Fetidest

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by having the strongest, most offensive odor; exceedingly foul-smelling; emitting the worst stench imaginable
2. Exhibiting the most intense and unpleasant smell possible; notably malodorous to an extreme degree; producing a deeply repugnant aroma
3. Possessing a highly disagreeable, putrid scent; overwhelmingly rank in odor; marked by a pungent and revolting fragrance

Etymology: "Fetidest" is the superlative of "fetid," so it is a form of that adjective, which reached English in the early 1600s from Latin "fetidus," meaning "stinking," from "fetere," "to stink." The Latin root is also the source of "fetor," a word for a strong, foul smell that English borrowed around the same period. The superlative ending "-est" is the regular English way of marking the highest degree of an adjective, so "fetidest" simply means "most fetid." Because "fetid" itself is a learned borrowing rather than a native English word, it takes the superlative with "most" in ordinary usage, and "fetidest" is a less common, more inventive form.

Synonyms: most foul-smelling, most putrid, most rancid, most malodorous, most rank

Antonyms: freshest, cleanest, sweetest, most fragrant, most pleasant