1
: to emit a strong offensive odor
stank of urine
2
: to be offensive
the election stank of corruption
also
: to be in bad repute
3
: to possess something to an offensive degree
stinking with wealth
4
: to be extremely bad or unpleasant
the performance stank
that news really stinks
Synonyms
Examples of stink in a Sentence
Verb
The food is good at that restaurant, but the service stinks.
Having a root canal stinks.
Noun
People raised a stink about the new law.
He kicked up a stink about the way he'd been treated.
Recent Examples on the Web
A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
This league is better when the New York teams are better, and right now the Giants stink.
Follow me on Twitter.
—Jesse Reed, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 17 July 2024
All are winnable for a variety of reasons: Atlanta’s defense stinks, Cleveland just stinks, Indianapolis’ Anthony Richardson is less accurate than a Colorado winter forecast, and Kansas City could rest its starters in the season finale with the No. 1 seed secured.
—Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stink 
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.
Verb
Smith has created an unrelentingly serious and sad work whose lyrics and arrangements stink of death, yet move as one – proactively, sensually — across eight long songs to create a universe unlike any this ensemble has attempted in the past.
—A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
This league is better when the New York teams are better, and right now the Giants stink.
Follow me on Twitter.
—Jesse Reed, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
Wearing none of the stink of Unfrosted, which somehow got an Outstanding Television Movie nomination!
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 17 July 2024
All are winnable for a variety of reasons: Atlanta’s defense stinks, Cleveland just stinks, Indianapolis’ Anthony Richardson is less accurate than a Colorado winter forecast, and Kansas City could rest its starters in the season finale with the No. 1 seed secured.
—Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stink
Dictionary Entries Near stink
Cite this Entry
“Stink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stink. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share