Stinky

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈstɪŋki/

Definitions

1. Having a strong, unpleasant smell that causes discomfort or disgust
2. Producing an offensive odor that provokes irritation or revulsion
3. Emitting a repulsive scent that elicits unpleasant feelings or reactions

Etymology: "Stinky" is about as plain as English gets: it is "stink" with the adjective-making suffix "-y" attached, the same ending found in "hairy," "dusty," and "sleepy." The first appearance of the form is in Middle English, where "stinky" and "stynky" were used with the same sense they have now, meaning smelling very bad. The root "stink" is older still and has a surprisingly neutral past. In Old English, "stincan" meant simply to give off a smell, good or bad, and the nasty sense only settled in later. Over time the verb narrowed to unpleasant odours, and the adjective followed it. The suffix has close relatives across the North Sea. Dutch "stinkig," German "stinkig," and Low German "stinkig" all mean stinky or foul, which suggests the formation was shared by several Germanic languages rather than borrowed from one into another. West Frisian and Saterland Frisian have parallel forms as well.

Synonyms: foul, smelly, odorous

Antonyms: fragrant, pleasant