stink

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /stɪŋk/ See IPA manual

Freq #4525

Meanings

1

verb
To have a strong, unpleasant smell.

The rubbish bin really stinks in this hot weather.
2

noun
A strong, unpleasant smell.

There was a terrible stink coming from the drains.
3

verb
To be very bad in quality.

That movie stinks; I didn't even stay until the end.
4

noun
A loud complaint or fuss about something.

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

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to have a strong,... reek

2 noun · a strong, unpleasant smell. stench reek pong

3 verb · to be very bad in quality. suck

Word family

Forms stankstinksstunk

Derived forms astinkdestinkfirestinkoutstinkpalestinkianstink-catstinkagestinkardstinkbagstinkbaitstinkballstinkbird

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

stink bomb
a small device designed to release a very unpleasant smell

Noun + noun

Proverbs (2)

See all

Money doesn't smell
Matching variant: Money doesn't stink
Opinions are like assholes, everybody's got one
Matching variant: Opinions are like assholes, everybody's got one and they all stink

Simplified etymology

Stink comes from Old English stincan, meaning to stink. It goes back to a common Germanic root also represented by Old English stenc, the source of stench.

Etymology

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”).

stynken Middle English stincan Old English *stinkwaną Proto-Germanic *stengʷ- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# stink

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /stɪŋk/
**Frequency rank:** 4525

## Meanings
1. To have a strong, unpleasant smell.
2. A strong, unpleasant smell.
3. To be very bad in quality.
4. A loud complaint or fuss about something.

## Examples
- The rubbish bin really stinks in this hot weather.
- There was a terrible stink coming from the drains.
- That movie stinks; I didn't even stay until the end.
- If you don't make a stink about the problem, nothing will be done.

## Derived Forms
- astink
- destink
- firestink
- outstink
- palestinkian
- stink-cat
- stinkage
- stinkard
- stinkbag
- stinkbait
- stinkball
- stinkbird

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: stynken
- Root: stincan
- Root: *stinkwaną
- Root: *stengʷ-

## Etymology
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”).

## AI Etymology
Stink is 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”). In present-day use, it can mean to have a strong, unpleasant smell, or a strong, unpleasant smell.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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