Definition

Verb (transitive) 1. To cause to smell bad; to fill with a bad smell: The action of making a place or thing have a strong, unpleasant odor.

Usage

The verb "stink out" is used to describe the act of producing a smell so bad that it permeates and ruins the atmosphere of a confined space. It is typically followed by the object (the place) being affected. * The primary meaning is to fill an enclosed area with a foul odor. * It often implies the smell is powerful, offensive, and makes the space unpleasant or uninhabitable.

Examples

• "Someone forgot to take out the trash, and it's starting to stink out the whole kitchen."
• "His cheap cigar stank out the entire office, much to his colleagues' dismay."
• "Please don't cook that fish; it will stink out the apartment for days."

Advanced Usage

• Passive Voice: Frequently used in the passive voice to describe the state of a place.
  • "The room was stunk out by the smell of wet dog and old socks."
• Figurative/Informal Use: Can be used hyperbolically or figuratively to mean to ruin the mood or atmosphere of a place, not just with a literal smell.
  • "His negative attitude really stinks out the team meetings."

Variants and Related Words

• Stink up (verb, transitive): A very common synonym with identical meaning, especially in American English.
  • "That experiment is going to stink up the science lab."
• Stink (verb): To emit a strong, unpleasant smell. ("The garbage stinks.")
• Reek (verb): To smell strongly and unpleasantly. ("The basement reeks of mildew.")

Synonyms

• Fill with a stench
• Asphyxiate (with smell) (informal, hyperbolic)
• Pollute (the air)

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Stink out of (something): This is not a standard phrasal verb. The correct construction is "stink out [a place]."
• Stink up: See "Variants and Related Words" above.

Related Idioms

• To clear the air: (Idiom) To dispel tension or, literally, to remove a bad smell. This is an antonymic concept.
  • "After the argument, a frank discussion helped clear the air."

Verb

1. cause to smell bad; fill with a bad smell