reeking 1 of 2

adjective

as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell I would rather not be the one to wash your reeking gym clothes

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reeking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of reek
as in smelling
to give off an extremely unpleasant smell those old sneakers reek something awful

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reeking
Verb
The meteorite hurtled over the east coast before crash-landing in a house in Hillsborough, New Jersey where the homeowner found it, reeking of sulfur. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 15 July 2026 Today, a checkerboard of subdivisions crosses east to west, and the remaining grasslands are buried each day under reeking asphalt and rolls of turfgrass. — Maggie Slepian, Longreads, 14 May 2026 And the smell is soft and pleasant, instead of reeking of alcohol. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026 Following the opening verse with the characterization of his lady’s eyes, Shakespeare proceeded to give a rundown of her other features in less than flattering terms, including her lips (pale), hair (wiry), voice (grating) and breath (reeking). — David McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026 Once Catalina was asleep, Pedro tossed his backpack, reeking of the day’s clothes, into the bedroom. — Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026 When he was lugged in Saugus in 2011, reeking of cheap domestic lager, he was first told to turn off the engine in his unmarked MSP Crown Vic. — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reeking
  1. stinking
  2. smelling
  3. ripe
  4. fetid
  5. malodorous
  6. foul
  7. smelly
  8. filthy
Adjective
  • America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.
    — Mary Ellen Klas, Boston Herald, 1 June 2026
  • Not the good, high-altitude ozone that shields us from dangerous UV light, but bad ozone, hovering right above ground level — stinking, brownish, grayish photochemical smog.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of stinking
Verb
  • Dogs slept outside and got baths every six months and sometimes disappeared for three days and then came home smelling like Paris Hilton circa 2003, and no one asked any questions.
    — Mimi Montgomery, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The fresh-smelling fragrance is available in several Bath & Body Works go-tos, including the Liquidless Reeds and Single Wick Candle.
    — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of smelling
Adjective
  • Having suffered a near-death experience during the pandemic, this hotel search site would seem ripe for disruption in an age of AI.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • There are 47 profiles that may be ripe for identification using genetic genealogy, Odien told ABC News.
    — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of ripe
Adjective
  • However, the Mariners play in the AL West, a fetid swamp of baseball disappointment.
    — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The Lineage warehouse fire, which erupted a mile away nearly two months ago, still blankets the church every morning with the fetid stench of millions of pounds of rotting food that have yet to be trucked away.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of fetid
Adjective
  • Skunks can cause anxiety in homeowners by harming lawns and possibly threatening Rover with their malodorous defenses.
    — Felicia Feaster, Martha Stewart, 20 June 2026
  • Be advised that only a small fraction of arums are malodorous.
    — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Definition of malodorous
Adjective
  • Goalkeepers tend to be the most knowledgeable, and most players have a good understanding of the fundamentals, but a routine question about what constitutes a foul throw usually produces an incredibly high number of incorrect answers.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Tatis never got past second base, as Skenes struck out Jake Cronenworth, got a pop-up to the left side of the infield, and Ty France to pop up in foul territory on the right side.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of foul
Adjective
  • Through the trading company Suzuki Shoten, the smelly oil was originally exported to Europe, where it was turned into a solid, odorless fat through a process called hydrogenation.
    — Pei-Hsu Lin, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Double-bag the trash when throwing out wet containers or smelly waste, or bags that are especially heavy.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of smelly
Adjective
  • People were filthy in so many ways, so Mike really wrote that in.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026
  • While sinks can become filthy from soap splatters and dirty hands, toilets need cleaning for very different reasons.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of filthy

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reeking
reeks
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Cite this Entry

“Reeking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reeking. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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