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Malodorous, adj.

Pronunciation: mal’ōdərəs

Meaning: This word is to be used to describe anything (or anyone) possessing an unpleasant odor. If spoiled roast beef wreaks, it could be said to be malodorous. If you are walking into a Paris subway and right in front of you is a man who seems to not have bathed for weeks, you could describe the stench as malodorous. If you ever find yourself in Indonesia and happen to pass by a plant known as the Titan Arum (or Corpse Flower) right on the day it is blooming, the horrible, revolting odor is so utterly rancid that you could be forgiven for screaming as you run for cover! That would be another example of something that is malodorous.

Usage:

• “The most malodorous cooked fish I have ever encountered comes from the Baltic Sea and is called Surströmming, as it smells like a blend of rotten eggs, raw sewage, stale vinegar, and moldy cheese.”
• “Your breath, I am afraid to say, is so repulsive it is beyond malodorous!”
• “The smell inside the car was utterly malodorous; what, in God’s name, went on in there?!”