stink

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To have a strong, unpleasant smell.

   The rubbish bin really stinks in this hot weather.

2. 2
   noun

   A strong, unpleasant smell.

   There was a terrible stink coming from the drains.

3. 3
   verb

   To be very bad in quality.

   That movie stinks; I didn't even stay until the end.

4. 4
   noun

   A loud complaint or fuss about something.

   If you don't make a stink about the problem, nothing will be done.

From Middle English stinken, from Old English stincan, from Proto-Germanic *stinkwaną, from Proto-Indo-European *stengʷ-, *stegʷ- (“to push, thrust, strike”). Cognate with West Frisian stjonke (“to stink”), Dutch stinken (“to stink”), German stinken (“to stink”), Danish stinke (“to stink”), Swedish stinka (“to stink”), Icelandic stökkva (“to spring, leap, jump”).

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